SL  8 

--- 
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US 


LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS 

AT  URBANA-CHAMPAIGN 


977.348 
Sw2c 


I  .H.S. 


C 


ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


A  CONTRIBUTION  TO  THE  HISTORY  OF 


FULTON    COUNTY. 


BY  ALONZO  M.  SWAN. 


CANTON,    FULTON   COUNTY,   ILLINOIS 

1871. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1871, 

BY  ALONZO  M.  SWAN, 
In  the  office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington. 


STEAM   PKESS   OF 

N.  C.  NASON, 

PKORIA,  ILLINOIS. 


"So 


TO  MY  WIFE, 

S. 

THIS  WORK  13  DEDICATED : 

YOURSELF  THE  GRANDDAUGHTER  OF  FOUR  PIONEERS,  AND  ONE  OF  THE 
FIRST  WHITE  CHILDREN  BORN  IN  KNOX  COUNTY. 

A   GOOD   WIFE,   AN  AFFECTIONATE   MOTHEB, 

MAY    YOU    BE    HAPPY    THROUGH   LIFE,    IS    THE   PRAYER    OF 
YOUR  AFFECTIONATE  HUSBAND, 

THE  AUTHOR. 


497295 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


FIRST    SETTLEMENT,    BY    THEODORE     SERGEANT, 
ISAAC  SWAN,  AND  NATHAN  JONES. 

PRIOR  to  1821,  the  present  site  of  the  Town  of  Canton  was 
uninhabited.  Deer,  turkeys,  and  other  wild  denizens  of  the  wood 
and  prairie,  were  the  only  occupants.  In  1822,  Theodore  Sergeant, 
Captain  D.  W.  Barnes  and  Charles  Sergeant  came  into  the  town- 
ship, settling  on  the  place  now  occupied  by  John  Lane,  Esq., 
northwest  of  Canton. 

In  1822,  Theodore  Sergeant  visited  the  land  office  at  Vandalia 
and  obtained  a  list  of  Congress  lands  in  Fulton  county.  By  some 
mistake,  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  27,  in  Township  7  North, 
4  East,  on  which  afterward  was  laid  out  the  original  town  site, 
was  given,  on  this  list,  as  Congress  and  unentered  land.  Sergeant, 
being  then  a  single  man,  decided  to  "preempt"  it;  and  accord- 
ingly erected  a  cabin  near  but  north  of  the  site  of  the  present 
High-School  building,  and  broke  up  and  put  into  cultivation  a  few 
acres  of  ground.  Being  a  single  man  and  not  disposed  to  keep 
bachelor's  hall,  he  employed  a  blacksmith,  in  about  1823,  by  the 
name  of  Harrison  Hughland,  to  occupy  his  cabin,  board  him,  and 
carry  on  blacksmithing.  Hughland  was  a  maker  of  cow-bells, 
and  did  the  first  manufacturing  of  any  kind  in  the  township,  man- 
ufacturing bells  for  the  few  settlers  in  the  county.  Hughland 
carried  on  the  shop  only  about  one  year  for  Sergeant,  but  after- 
ward worked  here  for  a  short  time  on  his  own  account. 

In  1824,  Sergeant  was  visited  by  Isaac  Swan,  who  exhibited  to 
him  a  military  title  for  his  claim.  Sergeant  at  once  vacated  the 
place,  and  Swan  entered  into  possession.  Swan  was  accompanied 
by  his  brother-in-law,  Nathan  Jones.  Jones  owned  the  northwest 
quarter  of  section  34,  in  the  same  township ;  and  as  the  two  quar- 
ters "  cornered"  with  each  other,  and  as  Jones's  quarter  was  tim- 
ber land,  considerably  broken,  and  considered  of  little  value  for 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


cultivation,  while  Swan's  was  prairie,  smooth,  and  a  choice  farm- 
ing tract,  they  entered  into  an  arrangement  by  which  each  quar- 
ter was  divided  through  the  centre  from  east  to  west.  Swan  took, 
under  this  arrangement,  the  north  half  of  each  quarter,  and  Jones 
the  south  half. 

Isaac  Swan  saw  the  advantage  of  the  location  as  a  town  site, 
and  determined  at  once  to  lay  off  a  town.  He  proposed  to  Jones 
that  they  should  jointly  survey  the  west  forty  acres  of  each  one's 
prairie  tract;  but  Jones  objected. 

At  this  time  a  man  by  the  name  of  Kinney  was  living  on  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  twenty-seven,  since  known  as  the 
old  Coleman  farm.  Kinney  claimed  to  own  the  quarter,  and  pro- 
posed to  Swan  that  he  would  join  in  the  enterprise.  To  this 
Swan  consented;  and  accordingly,  on  the  10th  day  of  December, 
1825,  the  Town  of  Canton  was  "  staked  off"  and  began  its  career. 
Kinney's  lots  were  numbered  from  one  to  fifty-four,  in  consecutive 
order,  and  Swan's,  beginning  at  fifty-five,  continued  up  to  one 
hundred  and  eight. 

Some  time  in  the  following  season,  John  Coleman,  sen.,  came 
into  the  country  with  a  title  to  the  quarter  of  land  claimed  by 
Kinney,  and  at  once  ousted  him  from  possession.  Prior  to  this, 
Kinney,  doubtless  knowing  his  claim  to  be  worthless,  had  pro- 
posed to  Isaac  Swan  that  they  should  divide  lots  alternately 
through  both  tracts,  in  order  that,  when  purchasers  presented 
themselves,  they  might  say  that  one-half  their  lots  had  already 
been  sold.  Swan  very  foolishly  consented  to  this  arrangement. 
At  the  time  Coleman  ousted  Kinney,  he  had  sold  no  lots  except 
on  Swan's  part  of  the  plat.  Of  course,  such  sales  proved  to  him 
clear  profit. 

Kinney  remained  in  Canton  a  few  years,  until,  finally,  on  one 
occasion,  he  proposed  to  Swan  that  he  could  make  more  money 
manufacturing  bogus  silver  than  in  any  other  way,  and  proposed 
to  Swan  that  he  join  him  in  the  business.  Swan  was  an 
honest  man,  and  no  such  proposition  could  be  made  to  him  with 
impunity.  He  at  once  notified  Kinney  that  he  had  just  twenty- 
four  hours  in  which  to  wind  up  his  business  relations  with  Canton 
and  Canton  people,  and  make  his  escape  from  the  wrath  that  was 
sure  to  overtake  him  if  he  tarried  beyond  that  time.  Pie  did  not 
tarry,  it  is  recorded. 

The  boundary-line  between  Swan  and  Kinney  was  Adelphi 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


street.  When  Coleraan  came  into  possession,  he  fenced  up  Kin- 
ney's  survey,  fencing  to  the  centre  of  this  street;  and  here  orig- 
inated a  controversy  that  for  years  was  kept  up  in  regard  to  Adel- 
phi  street — one  party  claiming  that  Coleman  could  not,  by  law, 
vacate  it ;  the  other  claiming  that  he  could. 

The  boundaries  of  Swan's  portion  of  the  town  were  as  follows : 
beginning  at  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Adelphi  streets;  thence 
west  to  the  corner  of  North-First  and  Adelphi ;  thence  south  to 
the  corner  of  North-First  and  Union ;  thence  east  to  the  corner 
of  Union  and  Fourth  streets ;  thence  north  to  the  place  of  be- 
ginning. 

Swan  soon  induced  Jones  to  lay  off  an  addition  immediately 
south  of  the  original  town,  but  at  what  date  the  recorded  plat 
does  not  show.  This  was  Jones's  first  Addition  to  the  Town  of 
Canton,  and  extended  from  the  corner  of  Fourth  and  Union  streets 
west  to  the  corner  of  Union  and  First  streets ;  thence  south  one 
block  to  Elm  street;  thence  east  to  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Fourth 
streets ;  thence  north  one  block  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

Jones  laid  off  on  his  the  present  Public  Square,  he  owning  the 
property  on  three  sides  of  it,  and  Swan  on  one  (the  north)  side. 
This  addition  was  probably  laid  out  in  the  spring  or  summer  of 
1830. 

Canton  received  its  name,  given  to  it  by  Isaac  Swan,  from  a 
notion  he  entertained  that  in  its  location  it  was  directly  the  anti- 
podes of  its  Chinese  namesake.  Pekin,  in  Tazewell  county,  had 
been  laid  out  a  short  time  previously,  and  Isaac  determined,  he 
said,  "  that  the  two  celestial  cities  should  be  represented  at  pre- 
cisely their  opposite  pole  on  the  earth's  surface." 

Isaac  Swan  erected  the  first  building  on  the  original  town  plat, 
immediately  after  it  was  laid  out.  This  building  was  a  log-cabin, 
perhaps  sixteen  by  eighteen  feet,  and  was  for  some  time  known  as 
"  Swan's  catch-all."  It  was  designed  as  a  stopping-place  for  any 
family  that  might  come  in,  until  they  could  build ;  when  unoccu- 
pied, he  used  it  as  a  carpenter's  shop.  This  building  was  situated 
on  Union  street,  above  Fourth. 

The  first  family  to  avail  themselves  of  this  "catch-all"  was  the 
family  of  John  Hannan,  who  came  in  soon  after  Swan  and  Jones. 
Hannan  obtained  from  Swan  a  lot  on  Main  street,  now  occupied 
by  S.  Smith,  Esq.,  and  built  the  first  house  intended  for  a  resi- 
dence in  town.  This  was  a  cabin,  and  was  occupied  by  him  until 


8  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

his  death,  Avhich  occurred  at  Beardstown,  in  1831,  as  he  was  re- 
turning from  a  trip  to  St.  Louis.  His  widow  continued  to  occupy 
the  same  house  for  some  time,  when  she  removed  to  the  Hannan 
farm,  just  east  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  Railroad. 

John  C.  Owens  came  in  about  the  same  time  the  Hannans  did, 
and  erected  a  cabin  on  Wood  street,  on  the  block  now  owned  and 
occupied  by  Mrs.  Dr.  Childs.  It  was  in  this  house  that,  in  all 
probability,  the  first  white  child  was  born  in  the  original  Town  of 
Canton.  It  is  claimed  by  some  that  Harrison  Hughland's  wife 
gave  birth  to  the  first  white  child  while  living  near  the  Central 
School-House  site.  If  this  is  true,  as  there  seems  to  be  reason  to 
believe,  this  child  —  whether  male  or  female  is  not  now  known  — 
was  the  earliest  born  Avithin  the  present  city  limits.  But  John  C. 
Owens's  oldest  boy  —  name  not  known — was,  without  doubt,  the 
first  born  in  the  original  plat.  Mr.  Owens  was  a  farmer.  By  his 
first  wife  he  wan  a  son-in-law  of  old  Father  Fraker,  who  lived 
just  west  of  Big  Creek  at  that  time.  Owens  at  this  time,  how- 
ever, was  living  with  his  second  wife,  who  was  a  sister  of  Lewis 
Walling's  first  wife.  Owens  and  Fraker  removed  from  Canton, 
at  an  early  date,  and  settled  at  Fraker's  Grove.  Owens  is  still 
living,  at  or  near  Mt.  Carroll,  in  Carroll  county. 

Swan  was  a  man  of  enterprise,  and  was  determined  that  his 
town  should  be  populated  at  once ;  so,  as  an  inducement  to  set- 
tlers, he  announced  his  determination  to  give  a  lot  to  any  man 
who  would  build  and  become  a  settler  in  the  town.  John  Han- 
nan  was  the  first  man  to  secure  a  lot,  and  was  followed  soon  by 
others.  Swan  kept  this  offer  good  until  about  1833,  stipulating, 
however,  in  later  years,  as  to  the  kind  of  house  that  should  be 
built. 

At  this  time  (1826)  Samuel  Morse  resided  on  what  was  then 
known  as  the  Morse  quarter,  west  of  and  adjoining  the  town  plat. 
His  cabin  stood  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the  residence  of 
Perry  Plattenberg,  Esq.,  on  Main  street,  west  of  First  street. 
Morse  was  the  owner  of  a  hand  mill,  upon  which  was  ground  much 
of  the  corn-meal  of  the  settlers  of  Canton.  As  most  of  the  pres-*s 
ent  generation  have  not  been  blessed  with  a  sight  of  one  of  the 
old  style  of  hand  mills,  we  will  copy  for  their  benefit  Gov.  John 
Reynolds's  description. 

"  In  the  hand  mill,  the  stones  are  smaller  than  those  of  the  horse 
mill,"  (the  lower  stone  was  fixed  and  the  upper  movable)  "  and 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  9 

are  propelled  by  man  or  woman  power.  A  hole  is  made  in  the 
upper  stone,  and  a  staff  of  wood  is  put  in  it,  and  the  other  end  of 
the  staff  is  put  through  a  hole  in  a  plank  above,  so  that  the  whole 
is  free  to  act.  One  or  two  persons  take  hold  of  this  staff,  and 
turn  the  upper  stone  with  as  much  velocity  as  possible.  An  eye 
is  made  in  the  upper  stone,  through  which  the  corn  is  let  into  the 
mill  with  the  hand  in  small  quantities,  to  suit  the  mill,  instead  of 
the  hopper." 

Samuel  Morse  continued  to  reside  in  Canton  until  some  time 
about  1834,  when  he  removed  to  Knox  county.  He  was  a  plain, 
unassuming,  honest  man,  a  good  neighbor  and  citizen.  His  wife, 
Mary  Morse  was  a  tailoress,  and  the  first  who  ever  worked  in 
Canton.  She  is  still  living  in  Mills  county,  Iowa,  and,  although 
more  than  eighty  years  of  age,  still  makes  her  own  living  by  her 
needle.  She  was  a  pattern  of  the  best  class  of  pioneer  women. 
Intelligent,  of  fair  education,  kindly  impulses,  and  of  courteous  car- 
riage, she  made  the  impression  upon  all  with  whom  she  came  in 
contact  that  she  was  indeed  a  lady  of  the  old  school.  Of  her 
numerous  children,  but  one,  Thomas  A.  Morse,  is  now  living. 

Theodore  Sergeant,  who  was  indeed  the  pioneer  of  Canton,  was 
born  in  New  Hampshire.  He  served  five  years  in  the  Regular  Army, 
including  in  that  period  the  War  of  1812.  He  was  discharged  at 
Detroit,  Michigan.  Soon  after  his  discharge,  he  fell  in  company 
with  Captain  D.  W.  Barnes  and  Wm.  Blanchard,  who,  with  his 
brother  Charles  Sergeant,  determined  to  unite  their  fortunes  and 
visit  the  Far  West  in  search  of  the  "Bounty  Land"  Congress 
had  given  them  in  the  Military  Tract  of  Illinois.  This  party, 
after  leaving  Detroit,  made  their  way  on  foot  through  the  wilder- 
ness to  Fort  Wayne,  Indiana;  thence  by  skiff  down  the  Wabash 
to  Vincennes.  Here  disposing  of  their  skiff,  they  walked  across 
the  Territory  of  Illinois  to  St.  Louis,  and,  again  taking  skiff, 
came  to  Fort  Clark — now  Peoria.  In  1819  they  jointly  opened 
a  farm  opposite  Peoria,  at  the  mouth  of  Farm  Creek,  to  which 
they  gave  its  name. 

Sergeant  soon  made  a  trip  into  Fulton  county  in  search  of  his 
land.  He  found  it  to  be  located  in  the  brakes  of  Big  Creek,  some 
where  in  what  has  since  been  known  as  the  Wilcoxen  settlement, 
several  miles  south  of  Canton,  and  by  no  means  a  desirable  lo- 
cation for  a  farm.  He  reported,  however,  to  his  companions  that 
there  were  fine  lands,  good  timber,  and  plenty  of  water,  a  few 
2 


10  CANTON:   ITS  PIONEERS  AND   HISTORY. 

miles  north  of  his  land,  and  advised  the  party  to  make  their  final 
and  permanent  settlement  here.  Accordingly,  in  1821,  Captain  D. 
W.  Barnes,  Theodore  Sergeant,  and  Charles  Sergeant,  removed  to 
Fulton  county  and  made  a  temporary  settlement  near  the  mouth  of 
Spoon  River.  Barnes  was  the  only  married  man  in  the  party,  and 
hence  has  the  honor  of  being  named  in  this  connection  as  being  in- 
deed the  first  settler  in  Canton  township,  to  which  he  removed  in 
1822.  His  location  was  on  the  farm  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
John  Lane,  Esq.,  northwest  of  town. 

Sergeant  continued  to  make  his  home  with  Barnes  until  his 
marriage,  which  occurred  on  the  5th  day  of  November,  1824. 
He  married  Miss  Rachel  Brown.  This  was  the  first  wedding  that 
occurred  in  Canton  township,  and  was  one  of  the  earliest  mar- 
riages celebrated  in  the  county.  It  has  been  incorrectly  stated 
that  this  wedding  was  the  first  in  the  county ;  but  we  have  Mr. 
Sergeant's  own  statement  to  the  contrary.  He  says,  however, 
that  he  did  make  proposals  for  the  hand  of  the  lady  for  whom  is 
claimed  the  honor  of  being  the  first  woman  married  in  the  county. 
He  relates  it  as  follows : 

"  I  had  made  up  my  mind  that  I  ought  to  have  a  housekeeper, 
and  accordingly  had  my  eye  out  for  one.  Some  how,  I  heard 
that  there  was  an  old  lady  living  down  toward  the  mouth  of  Spoon 
River,  by  the  name  of  Wentworth,  who  had  some  gals  that 
wanted  to  marry,  so  I  concluded  I  would  go  down  and  see  about 
it.  I  did  so,  and  on  arriving  there  at  once  made  my  business 
known  to  old  Mrs.  Wentworth.  The  old  lady  looked  me  over, 
with  the  air  of  a  judge  of  the  article  she  wanted,  and  began  her 
catechism  by  asking  me  what  I  followed,  my  age,  and  where  I 
was  from.  I  told  her  I  was  twenty-nine  years  old,  had  been  five 
years  a  soldier,  and  thought  I  could  manage  a  wife.  That  I  was 
from  Barnes's  settlement,  was  opening  a  farm,  and  wanted  a  gal 
to  help  me  pull  through  the  start.  The  old  lady  shook  her  head 
and  informed  me  that  I  would  not  suit  her  gals,  as  she  had  made 
up  her  mind  that  they  should  all  marry  store-keepers.  I  told  her, 
if  that  was  the  case,  I  reckoned  her  gals  would  not  suit  me,  as  I 
wanted  one  that  could  pull  with  me  on  the  start." 

Sergeant  returned  to  Canton  from  this  unsuccessful  wooing,  and 
reported  the  result  to  the  few  young  men  in  this  part  of  the 
county.  They  at  once  determined  to  get  even  with  the  family 
whose  notions  were  so  aristocratic.  There  was  an  occasional 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  11 

peddler,  named  Clark,  who  came  through  the  county  on  horse- 
back, carrying  needles,  thread  and  other  small  wares  in  a  sack, 
dividing  his  stock  into  equal  portions  and  balancing  it  over  his 
saddle.  This  Clark  was  the  first  peddler  who  visited  the  county. 
Clark  was  not  a  man  of  much  force  of  character,  and  it  was  de- 
termined to  send  him  after  the  Wentworth  girls.  He  readily  ac- 
ceded to  the  proposition,  and  soon  visited  Mrs.  W.  In  reply  to 
her  interrogatories,  Clark  informed  the  old  lady  that  he  resided 
in  Peoria,  and  sold  goods  for  a  livelihood.  This  filled  the  old 
lady's  bill,  nnd  she  at  once  gave  her  daughter  to  Clark  in  mar- 
riage; and  Sergeant  thinks  theirs  was  the  first  wedding  celebrated 
in  the  county.  It  took  place  a  few  weeks  prior  to  Sergeant's  wed- 
ding. 

George  S.  McConnell,  however,  relates  an  incident  connected 
with  the  first  court  held  in  the  county,  in  the  spring  or  early  sum- 
mer of  the  same  year,  which  establishes  the  fact  that  Clark's  could 
not  have  been  the  first  wedding,  as  at  that  court  a  couple  were 
divorced,  the  woman  being  a  sister  of  the  Tottens,  and  the  same 
night  the  divorced  woman  was  married  to  one  of  the  jurors,  by 
the  name  of  Williams,  who  had  tried  her  cause. 

Sergeant's  wedding,  being  the  first  in  the  township,  is  well 
worthy  of  commemoration,  and  fortunately  we  have,  in  the  per- 
son of  Henry  Andrews,  one  of  the  wedding  party,  a  faithful  and 
graphic  chronicler. 

He  says,  this  wedding  was  an  event  in  the  Barnes  neighborhood. 
It  occurred  at  the  cabin  of  Daniel  Brown,  the  father  of  the  bride. 
All  the  neighbors  were  invited,  and  probably  all  were  assembled 
in  the  cabin :  still,  though  small,  it  was  not  nearly  full.  The  bride 
was  gorgeously  appareled  in  a  checked  linsey  homespun  dress,  a 
three-cornered  handkerchief  about  her  neck,  and  her  feet  encased 
in  moccasins.  The  groom  also  wore  moccasins,  and  a  full  suit  of 
new  linsey,  colored  with  butternut-bark.  The  guests  were  dressed 
much  the  same,  and  were  seated  on  puncheon  benches  around  the 
sides  of  the  cabin.  Captain  Barnes,  at  that  time  County  Com- 
missioner, performed  the  marriage  ceremony,  with  due  and  be- 
coming dignity.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony,  all  the 
gentlemen  present  "saluted  the  bride."  When  this  ceremony 
had  been  completed,  old  Mr.  Brown  produced  a  "noggin"  of 
whisky  and  a  bran-new  tin-cup  —  then  considered  a  very  aristo- 
cratic drinking-vessel, —  and  passed  the  customary  beverage  to 


12  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

all  present.  All  drank  from  the  cup,  filling  it  from  the  "noggin" 
when  empty,  and  passing  it  from  hand  to  hand  until  again  empty. 
The  liquor  soon  began  to  make  the  guests  merry,  and  jokes  and 
songs  were  considered  to  be  in  order.  George  Matthews,  a  gay 
old  bachelor,  was  considered  a  very  fine  ballad-singer,  and  sang 
a  song  that  would  scarcely  be  considered  appropriate  on  a  festive 
occasion  at  this  day.  Mr.  Andrews  gives  from  memory  two 
verses  of  this  ballad : 

"There  's  the  silly  old  man 

Of  a  hundred  and  twenty, 
Who  pines  on  his  riches, 
Though  stores  he  has  plenty ; 

"  He  '11  exchange  all  his  riches, 

His  lands  and  his  rents, 
For  a  worm-eaten  coffin, 
A  hundred  years  hence." 

This  song  was  vigorously  applauded,  and  was  followed  by 
several  others  of  the  same  sort.  The  party  dispersed  about  eleven 
o'clock. 

During  this  season,  William  Betson,  a  New-Light  preacher, 
preached  in  this  settlement,  at  Canton,  and  at  other  points  in  the 
county.  His  wife  was  a  German  lady,  and  waged  warfare  against 
the  Masonic  fraternity, — her  one  argument,  on  all  occasions,  be- 
ing, "I  does  not  pelief  in  dose  Freemasoners ;  kaze'dey  vont  lets 
de  vimmens  knows  all  apout  it :  so  dere ! " 

In  1824,  Yelverton  Peyton  erected  a  house  within  the  present 
city  limits,  on  the  Coleman  tract,  near  where  Hayden  Keeling 
now  occupies  as  a  brickyard.  Peyton  was  a  large  man  and  a 
giant  in  strength.  It  is  said  that  he  cut  the  logs  for  his  cabin  and 
"backed"  them  up  on  his  shoulders,  carrying  logs  no  two  ordin- 
ary men  could  have  lifted.  Peyton  lived  here  a  few  years  and 
was  taken  down  with  consumption.  He  went  south,  finally,  for 
his  health,  and  died.  His  widow,  who  is  a  sister  of  John 
McCann,  is  still  living  near  Utica. 

Until  about  1830,  there  were  no  regular  dry-goods  stores  in 
Canton.  Up  to  that  period  goods  were  purchased  either  at  Ed- 
wardsville  or  St.  Louis.  The  settlers  would  several  of  them  club 
together,  and  select  one  or  two  of  their  number  to  take  a 
"pirogue,"  loaded  with  the  neighborhood  peltry,  beeswax  and 
honey,  to  one  or  the  other  of  those  markets,  and  exchange  it  for 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  13 

salt,  lead,  powder,  and  such  other  goods  as  might  be  within  the 
scope  of  their  ambition  or  means.  This  trip  occupied  about  two 
months'  time,  and  was  attended  with  considerable  difficulty  and 
not  a  little  danger. 

One  of  the  buildings  erected  in  Canton  in  1825  was  a  school- 
house.  It  was  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Wood  street,  between 
Union  and  Illinois  streets,  on  the  lot  now  owned  and  occupied  by 
Hon.  A.  C.  Babcock.  John  C.  Owens  was  the  first  school-teacher. 
This  house  merits  a  description.  It  was  of  logs,  unhewn  and  by 
no  means  straight.  The  roof  was  low  and  covered  with  clap- 
boards, kept  in  place  by  weight-poles.  The  house-logs  were  very 
small,  of  willow  and  cottonwood  timber,  principally.  Several 
holes  were  cut  through  the  logs  to  let  the  dark  out,  but  admitted 
a  very  scanty  supply  of  light.  The  floor,  for  the  first  year,  was 
of  the  best  variety  of  prairie  soil,  tramped  hard  by  the  feet  of  the 
young  ideas  who  were  there  taught  to  shoot.  The  seats  were 
logs  split  in  two  parts  and  supported  on  pins  driven  into  holes 
bored  for  the  purpose.  The  one  writing-desk  was  a  wide  punch- 
eon, with  its  upper  surface  planed,  and  supported  on  slanting 
pins  driven  into  one  of  the  logs.  The  door,  of  unshaved  clap- 
boards, swung  upon  wooden  hinges.  One  side  of  the  room  was 
occupied  by  an  enormous  old-fashioned  fire-place.  There  was  no 
ceiling  save  the  clapboard  roof,  although  one  or  two  joists  held  a 
wide  puncheon,  whereon,  at  overcrowded  meetings  —  for  this 
school-house  also  did  duty  as  a  place  of  worship, —  the  more  ad- 
venturous of  the  boys  would  climb  and  sit  out  the  service,  with 
their  bare  legs  swinging  over  the  heads  of  the  worshipers  below. 
Here  Owens  assembled  a  few  of  the  children  in  the  winter  of 
1825  and  1826  —  Jo.  and  Jim  Anderson,  Henry  Andrews,  Ed. 
Therman,  Harriet,  Elmira  and  Williston  Jones,  the  Owens  children, 
the  Peyton,  Hughland  and  Fraker  children,  and  a  few  others. 
Owens  was  succeeded  by  Ezra  Fairchild.  Fairchild  succeeded 
in  getting  a  puncheon  floor  put  into  the  school-house,  and  some 
other  trifling  improvements  made.  He  was  an  excellent  teacher, 
and  for  many  years  held  the  position  of  Justice  of  the  Peace  in 
Canton,  being  the  successor  of  Isaiah  Stillman  in  that  office. 

Fairchild  opened  the  first  coal-mine  ever  regularly  worked  in 
the  township.  It  was  a  drift  mine,  on  the  Morse  quarter,  and  the 
mouth  of  the  mine  opened  at  the  east  side  of  where  the  engine- 
house  of  Babcock's  Mill  is  now  built. 


14  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

In  1823  there  settled,  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section 
thirty-five,  7  North,  4  East,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Joseph  Ander- 
son. Anderson  had  before  been  living  for  a  time  near  the  present 
site  of  Utica.  He  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  British  army  during 
the  war  of  1812;  but,  being  taken  prisoner  by  the  American 
forces  under  General  Scott,  had  decided  to  cast  his  fortunes  with 
the  American  people.  Anderson  was  a  thorough-going,  enter- 
prising man,  an  Irishman  of  education,  and  the  kind  of  man 
best  adapted  to  pioneer  life.  He  brought  with  him  to  Canton 
township  seven  children — five  boys  and  three  girls.  The  boys 
were  Joseph,  Richard,  James,  Samuel,  and  A.  N.,  familiarly 
known  as  Doc.  Anderson.  Samuel  died  when  only  seven  years 
old;  Richard  died  here  at  an  early  day,  James  only  a  few  years 
ago.  Joseph  and  A.  N.  are  still  living  in  Canton.  The  girls 
were  Marguerette,  who  died  here  unmarried ;  Jane  and  Isabella, 
both  of  whom  were — Jane  the  first,  and  Isabella  the  second  — 
wives  of  J.  B.  Maloney.  Isabella  is  still  living  in  Canton. 

Mrs.  Anderson  survived  her  husband  until  August,  1865,  resid- 
ing constantly  on  the  old  homestead.  She  was  an  excellent 
woman,  well  remembered,  by  old  and  young  who  lived  in  Canton 
during  her  life,  as  "Aunt  Molly  Anderson."  She  was  in  some  de- 
gree eccentric,  but  kind,  genial,  and  hospitable.  No  person  in 
want  or  trouble  ever  applied  to  her  for  aid  or  sympathy  and  was 
refused. 

The  Anderson  farm  extended  as  far  north  as  Walnut  street, 
and  as  far  west  as  the  C.B.&  Q.  railroad  track.  A  portion  of  it 
is  now  occupied  by  Anderson's  Addition  to  Canton. 

The  very  first  mill  of  any  description  in  Canton  township  was 
a  band-mill  owned  by  Father  Fraker,  as  he  was  called,  who 
lived  on  the  east  end  of  Captain  Barnes's  farm,  a  little  west  and 
north  of  the  Fairview  Bridge.  He  came  int6  the  neighborhood 
in  1823,  and  remained  two  or  three  years,  when  he  removed  to 
Fraker's  Grove,  in  the  north  part  of  the  state,  to  which  he  gave 
its  name. 

There  was  a  family  here  in  1824  by  the  name  of  Garland,  who 
lived  on  the  Coleman  land.  Garland  is  believed  to  have  been  a 
brother-in-law  of  Kinney,  but  little  is  known  of  him. 

In  1826  the  entire  population  of  Canton  consisted  of  the  fami- 
lies of  Nathan  Jones,  Samuel  Morse,  John  Hannan,  J.  C.  Owens, 
Harrison  Hughland — who  went  to  the  lead-mines  with  his  family 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  15 

the  next  year  and  did  not  return, — Joseph  Anderson,  Wm.  Hig- 
gins,  Yelverton  Peyton,  and  Isaac  Swan  —  a  single  man.  Swan 
soon  after  married  Elizabeth  Addis. 

In  the  township,  outside  of  Canton,  were  living  Captain  D.  W. 
Barnes,  Theodore  Sergeant,  Charles  Sergeant,  Henry  Therman, 
George  Matthews,  Aaron  Roberts,  John  Pixley,  Seth  Littler — in 
whose  memory  Littler's  Creek,  in  Knox  county,  was  named, — 
David  Gallentine,  a  Mr.  Campbell,  John  Coleman,  Father  Fraker, 
Thos.  Wolf,  Daniel  Babbett,  and  possibly  one  or  two  others, 
whose  names  are  not  now  known. 

In  about  1824,  Jacob  Ellis  was  living  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Independence,  in  Putman  township.  He  was  running  a  band 
mill,  the  first  in  this  portion  of  the  county.  I  am  indebted  to 
Reynolds's  History  of  Illinois  for  a  description  of  the  pioneer 
"band  mill." 

"  The  Band  Mill  was  so  called  because  a  raw-hide  band  was 
put  on  the  large  drive- wheel,  in  the  place  of  cogs;  it  saved  the 
gearing  of  the  mill.  They  constituted  the  lowest  and  cheapest 
order  of  horse-mills.  Pins  are  put  in  the  place  of  cogs,  and 
around  them  the  band  is  placed.  These  pins  may  be  changed  in- 
to holes  made  for  the  purpose,  so  that  the  bands  may  be  made 
tight  when  necessary." 

John  Coleman  established  one  of  these  mills  north  of  the  Fair- 
view  Bridge.  This  mill  was  celebrated  for  "  making  haste  —  and 
meal  —  slowly."  It  was  said  that  it  ran  so  slow  that  the  dogs  were 
in  the  habit  of  chewing  in  two  the  band  while  the  mill  was  run- 
ning; when  Coleman  would  call  to  Jerry,  who  drove  the  team,  to 
know  what  was  the  matter,  and  Jerry  would  respond  that  "the 
dod  denied  dogs  had  chawed  the  band  in  two  again." 

Jacob  Ellis  erected  a  water  mill  between  Canton  and  Lewistown 
about  1824,  which  did  a  good  business.  He  erected  another  mill 
within  three  miles  of  Canton,  on  Big  Creek,  about  1829 -'30. 
-This  mill  brought  milling  very  convenient  to  the  people  of  Can- 
ton. 

Some  of  the  people,  who  were  not  close  to  some  of  these  prim- 
itive mills,  contented  themselves  with  preparing  their  meal  on  a 
"grater."  These  "graters"  were  perforated  sheets  of  tin  bowed 
on  to  a  board,  so  that  the  shape  was  similar  to  half  of  a  section 
of  stove-pipe;  the  rough  edges  of  the  perforated  tin  would  tear 


16  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND   HISTORY. 

the  grains  of  corn,  when  it  was  rubbed  briskly  over  its  surface, 
and  by  an  hour's  hard  labor  meal  enough  for  a  small  cake  could 
be  manufactured. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  COUNTY. 

THE  Act  of  the  Legislature  for  the  organization  and  establish- 
ment of  the  County  of  Fulton,  and  defining  its  boundaries  as 
they  now  exist,  was  passed  on  the  28th  of  January,  1823.  Sev- 
eral other  counties  had  their  boundaries  defined  by  the  same  act, 
but  were  not  to  be  organized  until  they  should  attain  the  requisite 
population.  Until  the  period  of  their  organization  they  were  to 
be  attached  to  Fulton  county,  for  all  purposes,  just  as  though 
they  were  actually  a  part  of  it. 

Peoria  county  was  a  part  of  this  attached  territory,  and  the  vil- 
lage of -Peoria  furnished  to  Fulton  county  its  first  sheriff,  in  the 
person  of  Abner  Eads,  who,  in  1823,  at  the  first  election,  beat 
Ossian  M.  Ross  for  that  position.  The  Peorians,  it  is  said,  came 
down  from  Peoria  in  "  pirogues "  to  the  mouth  of  Spoon  River, 
then  "pulled"  up  that  stream  to  the  neighborhood  of  Lewistown, 
which  was  the  only  voting-place  in  the  county,  bringing  their 
whisky  and  their  candidate  with  them. 

The  first  session  of  the  circuit  court  of  which  I  can  get  any 
knowledge  was  held  at  Lewistown,  in  June,  1824.  This  certainly 
was  not  the  first  court;  but,  as  the  records  of  the  county  for  the 
first  year  after  its  organization  have  disappeared,  no  account  of  its 
proceedings  have  reached  me. 

Mr.  George  S.  McConnell  was  a  spectator  at  the  court  held  in 
June,  1824.  He  says  that  Thos.  Reynolds,  a  brother  of  Gov. 
John  Reynolds,  was  judge.  Hugh  R.  Coulter,  a  brother-in-law 
of  Ossian  M.  Ross,  was  circuit  clerk.  Coulter  was  at  the  same 
time  justice  of  the  peace,  and  held  several  other  official  positions. 

The  court  was  held  in  Coulter's  house.  This  was  a  double 
log-cabin,  containing  some  three  or  four  rooms.  Mr.  McConnell 
does  not  remomber  seeing  but  two  lawyers  in  attendance,  these 
being  John  Shaw  and  Nicholas  Hanson,  nor  does  he  remember 
which  acted  in  the  capacity  of  circuit  attorney.  The  panel  of 
jurors  was  so  scanty  that  the  same  persons  had  to  sit  both  on  the 
grand  and  traverse  juries. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  17 

In  1824,  the  Board  of  County  Commissioners  consisted  of  David 
W.  Barnes,  Thomas  Covill,  and  a  Mr.  Moffett.  Wm.  Totten  and 
John  Pixley  were  the  only  constables  in  the  county. 


INCIDENTS. 

OUT  OF  MEAT. 

ONE  day  in  the  fall  gf  1823,  Henry  Andrews  relates,  there 
came  two  land-hunters  to  the  cabin  of  Col.  Barnes.  These  men 
were  Joshua  Moore  and  Levi  Ellis.  Barnes  invited  them  in  the 
the  most  cordial  manner  to  make  his  house  their  headquarters 
while  in  the  neighborhood,  and  the  invitation  was  cheerfully  ac- 
cepted. Mrs.  Barnes  announced  to  her  husband  that  the  meat 
was'out  that  evening,  and  that  she  did  not  know  what  she  was 
going  to  do  for  something  to  eat.  As  meat  and  corn-bread  or 
hominy  was  about  the  extent  of  the  pioneer  bill  of  fare  at  that 
period,  this  announcement  was  received  with  some  consternation. 
Barnes  had  no  stock  to  kill,  and  had  neglected  hunting,  from  the 
pressure  of  his  fall  work.  George  Matthews  was  at  that  time 
working  at  Barnes's,  and  in  the  morning  he  undertook  to  find 
some  game.  He  started  out  east  of  Barnes's  cabin,  and  had  been 
gone  but  a  few  moments  before  the  report  of  his  gun  was  heard, 
and  his  halloo  for  help  soon  followed  it.  The  whole  family  started 
for  the  scene  of  action,  anxious  to  know  the  result.  Matthews 
had  shot  and  killed  a  fine  doe  within  a  short  distance  of  the 
house,  and  was  proceeding  to  skin  it.  This  gave  Mrs.  Barnes  re- 
lief, and  she  furnished  her  guests  an  abundance  of  venison  during 
the  balance  of  their  stay. 

Moore  purchased  land  in  what  is  now  Joshua  township,  and 
gave  the  township  its  name.  Ellis  settled  at  Ellisville,  which 
township  was  also  named  in  his  honor.  He  built  a  mill  at  the 
^present  site  of  Ellisville.  Both  of  them  were  prominent  and  use- 
ful men,  and  possessed  of  great  influence  among  the  people  at 
that  early  day. 

HOW  BUCKHEART  TOWNSHIP  ACQUIRED  ITS  NAME. 

Some  time  in  about  1824,  John  Pixley,  a  tall,  gaunt,  red-headed 
man,  a  great  blow  and  something  of  a  hunter,  shot  a  buck  about 
3 


18  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

where  Piper's  Woolen  Factory  now  stands  in  Canton.  The  freer 
was  wounded :  Pixley  swore  it  had  been  shot  through  the  "heart. 
He  followed  it  across  the  prairie  to  the  head  of  what  is  now 
Buckheart  Grove,  where  he  lost  track  of  it.  Pixley  used  to  tell 
the  story  as  an  instance  of  the  wonderful  tenacity  of  life  possessed 
by  deer,  always  insisting  that  he  had  unquestionably  shot  that 
buck  through  the  heart,  and  that  afterward  he  had  followed  it  five 
miles  and  it  had  finally  escaped  him.  The  grove  where  it  disap- 
peared was  called  Buckheart  Grove  in  derision  of  this  story,  and 
the  stream  running  through  it  received  the  same  name,  which  was 
also  afterward  extended  to  the  township. 

The 'first  tavern  licence  issued  to  a  citizen  of  Canton  township 
was  granted  to  Captain  David  W.  Barnes,  on  the  6th  of  Septem- 
ber, 1824.  Mr.  Barnes  was,  by  the  Board  of  County  Commis- 
sioners, allowed  to  charge  for  a  single  meal  37|-  cents,  lodging 
1 2£  cents,  unless  two  persons  occupied  one  bed,  when  the  bill  should 
be  6^  cents  each.  Single  feed  of  oats  or  corn,  25  cents.  Whisky, 
per  half-pint,  the  charge. was  fixed  at  12£  cents;  rum  or  gin,  per 
half-pint,  25  cents;  brandy  or  wine,  per  half-pint,  37^  cents.  At 
this  time  there  were  but  three  licensed  taverns  in  the  county :  one 
kept  by  Ossian  M.  Ross,  at  Ross's  Ferry;  one  by  Stephen  Phelps, 
at  Lewistown ;  and  Capt.  Barnes's.  The  Board  of  County  Com- 
missioners, or  County  Court,  at  this  time  were  James  Gardner, 
James  Barnes,  and  David  W.  Barnes.  This  board  received  an 
application  for  and  granted  to  John  L.  Bogardus  a  license  to  keep 
a  ferry  across  the  Illinois  River,  from  the  Village  of  Peoriato  the 
opposite  bank,  in  Sangamon  county  —  Peoria  at  that  time  being  in 
territory  that  was  attached  to  and  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Ful- 
ton county. 


HABITS  AND  CUSTOMS  OF  THE  PIONEERS. 

THE  Pioneer  was  a  jolly,  generous  soul.  Meanness  did  not 
enter  into  his  composition.  The  social  scale  was  exactly  balanced, 
all  occupying  precisely  the  same  level.  The  idea  that  one  man  was 
socially  the  superior  of  any  other  man  was  not  to  be  entertained 
for  one  moment: 

The  earliest  residences  were,  cabins  of  unhewn  logs,  having 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND   HISTORY.  19 

either  dirt  or  puncheon  floors.  The  puncheon  floor  was  made  by 
splitting  logs  into  slabs  of  six  or  eight  inches  in  thickness,  hew- 
ing one  surface,  and  dressing  the  edges  with  the  broad-axe.  This 
made  a  substantial  if  not  even  or  close-jointed  floor.  The  roof 
of  the  cabin  was  of  clapboards,  and  kept  in  position  by  logs  of 
wood  laid  on  its  upper  surface.  These  logs  were  called  weight- 
poles.  The  chimney  was  usually  made  by  building  a  kind  of 
puncheon  double  frame  for  the  fire-place,  and  filling  in  the  space 
between  —  about  ten  or  twelve  inches  in  thickness  —  with  clay 
which  was  well  pounded  in  —  the  chimney  above  being  made  of 
sticks  built  up  pen  fashion  and  well  daubed  with  earth  mortar. 
The  hearth  was  generally  pounded  clay,  unless  stone  suitable 
happened  to  be  very  convenient  and  plenty.  The  door  was 
usually  made  of  clapboards,  with  a  wooden  latch  on  the  inside, 
and  was  opened  from  the  outside  by  pulling  the  latch-string. 
When  the  "  latch-string  was  out,"  the  approaching  comer  knew 
the  folks  were  at  home,  and,  if  at  all  acquainted,  never  took  the 
trouble  of  knocking.  If  a  stranger,  he  would  generally  announce 
his  approach  by  a  loud  "  halloo,  the  house ! "  which  would  bring 
the  good  man  and  woman  each,  or  either  who  happened  to  be  at 
home,  to  the  door,  followed  by  as  many  juveniles  as  the  cabin  af- 
forded. If  the  caller  was  a  footman  and  a  stranger,  he  first 
rapped  on  the  door  and  called,  in  a  loud  voice,  "Who  keeps  the 
house  ? "  and  would  receive  the  response  from  within,  "  House- 
keepers :  come  in." 

The  furniture  of  the  cabin  was  as  primitive  as  the  occupants. 
In  one  corner — perhaps  in  two  or  three  corners  —  were  the  bed- 
steads. These  were  your  genuine  cottage  bedsteads,  made  by 
boring  one  hole,  say  four  feet  from  one  corner  of  the  cabin,  into  a 
"  house-log,"  another  hole,  say  six  feet  from  the  same  corner,  on 
another  side ;  opposite  these  holes  was  set  an  upright  post,  usually 
a  section  from  the  body  of  a  peeled  sapling;  in  this  post  two  holes 
would  be  bored  at  any  desired  hight,  and  at  right  angles  with 
each  other ;  poles  were  inserted  in  these  holes,  making  in  this  man- 
ner a  square  frame ;  over  this  frame  was  laid  a  covering  of  clap- 
boar.ds,  or,  as  some  denominated  them,  "  shakes,"  and  on  top  of 
this  platform  the  bed  was  spread.  The  chairs  were  —  to  make  a 
bull— not  chairs,  but  three-legged  stools  or  puncheon  benches. 
The  cupboard  was  literally,  a  cupboard,  being  a  puncheon  sup- 
ported by  pins  driven  into  holes  in  the  house-logs  at  some  con- 


20  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

venient  corner.  The  boxes  which  had  held  the  family  dry  goods 
while  en  route  to  the  new  country  generally  furnished  the  table, 
and  a  trough  or  troughs  the  meat  and  soap  barrels.  Hollow  logs 
saw^ed  into  sections  and  provided  with  a  puncheon  bottom  fur- 
nished a  receptacle  for  meal,  potatoes,  beans,  wheat,  "  and  sich 
like  truck" — to  use  the  pioneer  vernacular.  The  table  was 
bounteously  supplied  with  "samp,"  "ley  hominy,"  corn  pone, 
honey,  venison,  pork,  stewed  pumpkin,  wild  turkey,  prairie 
chicken,  and  other  game.  Wheat  bread,  tea,  coffee,  and  fruit — 
except  wild  fruit— were  luxuries  not  to  be  indulged  in  except  on 
special  occasions,  as  a  wedding  or  gala  day.  "  Samp"  was  quite 
a  frequent  dish.  It  was  made  by  burning  a  hole  into  some  con- 
venient stump  in  the  shape  of  a  mortar;  this  hole  was  filled  with 
corn  and  pounded  by  a  large  pestle  hung  like  the  old-fashioned 
well-sweep  pendent  from  a  long  pole,  which  was  nearly  balanced 
on  an  upright  fork.  This  pole  had  a  weight  attached  to  one  end 
and  the  pestle  to  the  other ;  the  weight  would  lift  the  pestle,  while 
manual  force  was  expected  to  bring  it  down.  When  the  "  samp  " 
was  pounded  sufficiently,  it  was  washed  and  boiled  like  rice. 

The  traveler  always  found  a  welcome  at  the  pioneer's  cabin. 
It  was  never  full :  although  there  might  already  be  a  guest  for 
every  puncheon,  there  was  still  "  room  for  one  more,"  and  a  wider 
circle  would  be  made  for  the  new-comer  at  the  log  fire.  If  the 
stranger  was  in  search  of  land,  he  was  doubly  welcome,  and  his 
host  would  volunteer  to  show  him  all  the  "  first-rate  claims  in 
this  neck  of  woods,"  going  with  him  for  days,  showing  the  cor- 
ners and  advantages  of  every  "Congress  tract"  within  a  dozen 
miles  from  his  own  cabin. 

To  his  neighbors  the  pioneer  was  equally  liberal.  If  a  deer 
was  killed,  t"he  choicest  bits  were  sent  to  his  next  neighbor,  a  half- 
dozen  miles  away,  perhaps.  When  a  "  shoat"  was  butchered,  the 
same  custom  prevailed.  If  a  new-comer  came  in  too  late  for 
"  cropping,"  the  neighbors  would  supply  his  table  with  just  the 
same  luxuries  they  themselves  enjoyed,  and  in  as  liberal  quantity, 
until  a  crop  could  be  raised.  When  the  new-comer  had  located 
his  claim,  the  neighbors  for  miles  around  would  assemble  at  the 
site  of  the  new-comer's  proposed  cabin  and  aid  him  in  "gittin'  it 
up."  One  party  with  axes  would  fell  and  hew  the  logs;  another 
with  teams  would  haul  the  logs  to  the  ground;  another  party 
would  "  raise  the  cabin " ;  while  several  of  the  old  men  would 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  21 

"rive  the  clapboards"  for  the  roof.  By  night  the  cabin  would  be 
up  and  ready  for  occupying,  and  by  the  next  day  the  new-comer 
was  in  all  respects  as  well  situated  as  his  neighbors. 

Saturday  was  a  regular  holiday,  in  which  work  was  ignored 
and  every  body  went  to  town  or  to  some  place  of  general  resort. 
When  all  were  together  in  town,  sport  began.  Of  course, 
whisky  circulated  freely  and  every  body  indulged  to  a  greater  or 
less  extent.  Quarrels  were  now  settled  by  hand-to-hand  en- 
counters ;  wrestling-matches  came  off  or  were  arranged  for  in  the 
future;  jumping,  foot-racing,  and  horse-racing  filled  up  the  inter- 
val of  time;  and  every  body  enjoyed  the  rough  sports  with  a  zest 
unknown  among  the  more  refined  denizens  of  the  present  good 
City  of  Canton. 

The  fleetest  runner  among  the  pioneers  was_Stephen  Coleman ; 
the  champion  wrestler  was  Daniel  Babbett;  while  at  fisti-cuffs 
the  belt  was  contested  for  between  Stephen^Coleman  and  Emsly 
Fouts.  Coleman  and  Fouts  were  nearly  equally  matched,  and  on 
several  occasions  waged  desperate  war,  with  varying  fortunes,  un- 
til they  held  their  last  great  battle,  which  will  never  be  forgotten 
by  the  pioneers.  It  was  on  election-day,  in  the  fall  of  1831.  For 
weeks  before  it  had  been  understood  that  they  were  to  fight.  On 
election-day,  accordingly,  they  met  on  Union  street,  in  front  of 
Tyler's  Tavern,  and,  surrounded  by  an  immense  crowd  of  their 
respective  friends,  proceeded  to  settle  their  difficulty.  The  fight 
was  fierce,  long,  and  bloody.  Coleman,  it  was  claimed,  struck 
Fouts  before  he  was  entirely  divested  of  his  coat,  and  by  this  means 
began  with  the  advantage  in  his  favor,  which  advantage  he  was 
able  to  maintain  until  Fouts,  after  a  gallant  struggle,  was  forced 
to  yield.  Coleman's  friends  raised  him  on  their  shoulders,  and 
marched  with  him  a  triumphal  march  to  the  Public  Square  and 
back. 

Fouts  was  defeated,"but/as  he  believed,  notTairly,  and  he  de- 
termined to  renew  the  contest  ori^another  occasion.  This  was 
also  understood,  and  the  final  struggle  was  looked  forward  to  by 
the  settlers  with  even  more  expectantjnterest^than^the  first.  Ac- 
cordingly, a  few  weeks  later,  one  Saturday,  Fouts  came  to  town 
for  the  purpose  of  meeting  Coleman.  He  stopped  at  Dickey 
Johnson's,  where  he  left  his  coat  and  put  himself  in  fighting  trim. 
Johnson  accompanied*him  to'town  and  acted  as  his  friend  and 
second.  Fouts  soon  met  Coleman,  and  informedHiim  thatMie  had 


22  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

come  to  town  expressly  to  settle  their  little  trouble.  Coleraan 
•began  to  draw  his  leather  coat,  but  before  it  was  off  Fonts  took 
the  same  advantage  Coleman  had  taken  in  the  previous  fight,  and 
struck  him.  This  advantage  was  all  he  desired,  and  vigorously 
did  he  follow  it  up.  Coleman  was  not  easily  handled,  however, 
and  soon  was  stripped  and  in  fighting  trim.  The  fight  was  a 
desperate  one,  and  it  was  soon  Apparent  that  neither  would  ac- 
knowledge defeat.  Fouts,  however,  had  so  well  followed  up  his 
advantage  that  Coleman's  friends  parted  them,  and  ever  after 
neither  could  be  induced  to  attack  the  other. 

Foot-racing,  jumping  and  wrestling  were  also  indulged  in  on 
Saturdays,  and  among  the  pioneers  were  men  of  fleet  foot,  strong 
arm,  and  sinewy  limb.  John  Anderson,  a  saddler  who  worked 
for  Bryant  L.  Cook,  was  credited  with  the  fleetest  foot  prior  and 
up  to  the  storm  in  1835;  while  Alexander  Gumming,  a  brother-in- 
law  of  Jacob  Weaver,  was  said  to  excel  all  others  in  jumping. 
In  1830  and  the  immediately  succeeding  years  John  Scurlock 
and  Abram  Putman  were  the  champion  runners,  and  Putman  the 
champion  jumper.  Occasionally  the  sport  would  be  varied  by  a 
horse-race,  while  whisky  and  jokes  were  freely  indulged  in.  Some 
of  these  pioneers  were  rare  old  jokers,  too.  The  point  of  their 
joke  would  some  times  rub  a  raw  place  in  their  victim,  but  for  that 
so  much  the  better. 

There  was  running  through  this  pioneer  life,  too,  a  deep,  rich 
vein  of  religious  sentiment.  The  pioneer  preachers  were  no  car- 
pet knights,  but  men  who  preached  from  a  stern  sense  of  religious 
duty.  They  were  not  deterred  from  filling  their  appointments  by 
wind  or  weather,  but  swam  rivers,  faced  northers,  and  passed 
through  the  perils  of  the  wilderness,  to  carry  the  glad  tidings  of 
the  gospel  to  the  frontiersmen.  Peter  Cartwright,  Father 
Somers,  Woolescroft,  John  M.  Ellis,  Jno.  G.  Bergen,  Jesse  Will- 
iams, Ozias  Halej  Jno.  Clark,  and  their  colaborers,  were — some 
of  them,  perhaps,  not  eloquent — but  all  devoted,  true,  worthy 
men — men  who  preached  a  pure  religion;  for  there  was  a  religion 
in  the  olden  time,  a  religion  plain,  unostentatious  and  simple,  but 
earnest,  pure  and  undefiled.  Plain  men  and  plain  women  met 
together,  not  for  display,  not  for  frivolous  discourse,  but  for  the 
worship  of  the  one  Living  God,  whose  handiwork  they  recognized 
in  the  forests  and  prairies,  and  whose  watchful  care  they  felt 
around  them  every  day,  in  preserving  them  from  the  savage,  and 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  23 

'from  the  innumerable  dangers  to  which  their  pioneer  life  was  sub- 
ject. They  met,  not  in  turreted  church,  with  stained-glass  win- 
dows, to  seat  themselves  on  cushioned  seats,  and  listen  to  hired 
musicians,  who  torture  elegant  organs  by  singing  the  words  of 
religion  to  the  music  of  the  opera  and  the  ball-room.  They  met 
iri  the  settler's  cabin,  coming  on  foot,  or  horseback  or  in  rude  ox- 
carts  to  the  place  of  worship.  They  came,  not  dressed  in  velvets, 
not  loaded  with  panniers  and  false  hair;  but  plain  women  in  moc- 
casins, or  cowhide  brogans,  wearing  modest  three-cornered  hand- 
kerchiefs over  plain  linsey  or  homespun  checked  cotton  gowns, 
their  hair,  as  God  caused  it  to  grow,  unadorned,  combed  Out 
smooth  and  glossy,  and  hidden  from  view  by  the  primitive  Meth- 
odist bonnet,  or  the  modest  sun-bonnet,  as  our  mothers  wore  it. 
The  men  came,  not  kid-gloved  bewhiskered  dandies  in  tights,  and 
boots  that  were  a  size  too  small  for  their  feet,  and  walking  with  a 
gait  as  ungraceful  as  disgusting;  but  clad  in  linsey-woolsey  hunt- 
ing-shirt, with  home-braided  straw  hat  or  coon-skin  cap,  with  their 
plain  white  home-made  cotton  shirt,  whose  wide  collar  was  turned 
down  over  the  "  wammus "  or  hunting-shirt.  They  came  with  a 
firm,  free  step,  in  their  moccasins  or  brogans,  a  long,  graceful 
step  that  told  of  strength  and  activity. 

They  met  in  some  log  school-house,  or  in  the  one  room  of  some 
pioneer  log-cabin!  Outside  the  door  were  seats  for  the  men  — 
logs  laid  lengthwise  and  boards  or  puncheons  stretching  across 
them.  The  yard  fence  was  also  used  for  seats,  and  no  one  com- 
plained at  the  length  of  the  exercise  either,  even  if  compelled  for 
two  hours  to  perch  upon  the  sharp  edge  of  an  oak  rail  during  the 
service. 

The  people  have  assembled.  The  women  occupy  the  inside  of 
the  cabin;  the  men  are  scattered  around  without,  awaiting  the 
coming  of  the  man  of  God.  The  set  time  has  come — has  been 
passed  an  hour,  and  the  minister  has  not  appeared.  There  is  no 
impatience,  however,  no  murmuring.  They  know  that  the  good 
man  has  a  long  and  weary  ride  this  morning.  He  preached  yes- 
terday at  Ross's  Ferry,  perhaps,  or  Fort  Clark,  and  the  streams 
are  high,  and  the  roads  bad.  He  will  come — no  fear  of  disap- 
pointment—  and  what  is  an  hour  or  two  ?  Presently  there  is  a 
movement  among  the  young  men  who  have  strayed  to  some  little 
distance  from  the  cabin;  they  begin  to. move  up  toward  the  door, 
and  select  their  seats.  Old  men  rise  up  from  the  fence-corners, 


24  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

where  they  have  been  squatting  in  groups,  talking  over  the  latest 
Indian  news,  and  look  down  the  road  where  the  minister  is  ex- 
pected to  appear.  Yes,  there  he  comes,  the  primitive  man  of 
God ;  clad  in  sheep's-gray  pants,  and  round-breasted  blue  or  brown 
jeans  coat,  with  its  stiff,  straight  collar,  over  which  appears  his 
white  shirt-collar,  guiltless  of  starch  or  gloss ;  and  all  surmounted 
by  the  white  fur,  low-crowned  hat,  with  its  wide  brim. 

And  now  all  is  still.  The  hum  of  voices,  which  had  been  in- 
cessant before,  is  hushed.  The  old  men  meet  the  preacher,  and 
in  low  tones  ask  after  his  health ;  if  he  had  much  trouble  in  cross- 
ing the  creek,  and  how  he  found  the  roads.  He  answers  their 
questions  with  few  words  and  passes  in,  shaking  hands  with  some 
of  the  older  mothers  in  Israel,  as  he  hangs  his  hat  on  a  projecting 
pin,  and  takes  out  from  his  capacious  coat-tail  pockets  his  well- 
worn  bible  and  hymn-book.  Taking  his  stand  in  the  open  door- 
way, he  gravely  reads,  or  rather  recites,  that  old  hymn  — 

"Come,  let  us  anew  our  journey  pursue." 

It  is  sung  by  every  man  and  woman  present,  sung  with  voices 
clear  and  loud.  No  operatic  quavers,  no  voluntary,  no  preten- 
sion. The  voices  are  all  blending  in  a  harmony  born  of  devo- 
tion, and  which  goes  up  a  pure  offering  of  praise  to  the  throne  of 
the  Most  High.  It  is  a  music  that  conies  from  hearts  all  attuned 
to  praise,  and  finds  its  way  through  the  open  gates  of  heaven  to 
the  great  white  throne.  With  music  such  as  this  is  heaven 
wooed,  and  heaven  won. 

As  the  last  notes  die  away,  the  good  man  folds  his  hands  and 
prays.  The  prayer  is  simple,  plain,  and  as  of  one  who  approach- 
es the  vestibule  of  Omnipotence,  in  its  solemnity ;  and  as  unfal- 
tering in  its  trust  as  the  pleading  of  a  child  with  the  father  who 
it  knows  will  stoop  to  listen.  It  bears  up  the  burdens  of  the  peo- 
ple ;  it  lays  before  the  throne  the  wants  of  every  stricken  soul. 
It  must  be  heard  if  the  heavens  be  not  of  brass.  The  prayer  is 
closed,  and  again  the  voice  of  song  is  heard.  This  time  it  is  that 
grand  old  hymn  — 

"  Oh,  when  shall  I_see  Jesus, 
And  dwell  with  him  above  ?  " 

The  good  minister~~selects^  a  ^chapter,  as  the  last  verse  of  this 
hymn  is  sung,  and  now  he  reads  it;  reads,  not  with  the  actor's 
trilling  rs  and  guttural  tones ;  but  in  a  plain,  earnest  and  solemn 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  25 

voice,  he  reads  a  chapter  wonderfully  appropriate  to  the  condition 
of  his  congregation. 

The  sermon  is  not  an  elegant  production  of  finished  oratory. 
It  may  be  disconnected ;  it  may  be  ungrammatical,  and  lacking 
whitened  polish ;  but  it  is  plain,  simple,  direct.  It  came  from  the 
heart  —  it  will  reach  the  heart,  and  it  is  listened  to  with  an  atten- 
tion never  given  to  the  polished  oratory  that  delights  in  ornate 
chancels  as  its  birth-place,  and  silk  and  broadcloth  listeners. 

The  sermon  ends;  the  doxology  and  benediction  have  been 
spoken ;  all  gather  around  the  good  minister,  eager  to  press  his 
hand  —  attentive  to  listen,  willing  to  treasure  up  the  words  of  ex- 
hortation, of  reproof,  or  of  warning,  which  fall  from  his  lips. 

This  was  the  pioneer  worship  —  a  pure  and  godly  worship ;  a 
worship  more  pure,  more  likely  to  find  favor  in  the  sight  of  God, 
than  the  religion  that  displays  itself  in  turreted  and  cushioned 
edifices  born  of  pride,  but  labeled  for  the  worship  of  God,  that 
have  succeeded  the  old  log  school-houses  of  fifty  years  ago. 

Those  were  the  days  of  Christianity.  I  fear  we  are  now  living 
in  the  days  of  churchianity. 

A  CALL  TO  PREACH. 

Jesse  Williams  and  Peter  Cartwright  were  among  the  earliest 
preachers  who  preached  in  Canton.  John  M.  Ellis  was,  however, 
not  much,  if  at  all,  behind  them  in  paying  attention  to  this  field. 
There  were  in  the  vicinity  a  good  number  of  Ironside  Baptists, 
who  organized  a  church  of  their  faith  in  the  Eveland  neighborhood 
at  quite  an*  early  day — probably  before,  certainly  not  later  than, 
1825. 

James  Tatum,  one  of  their  pioneer  preachers,  used  to  edify  his 
hearers  by  relating  his  call  to  preach,  "  in  the  words  and  figures 
that  follow,  to-wit : " 

"My  dearly-beloved  brethering-ah  and  sisters-ah,  my  blessed 
master-ah,  has  called  me  to  dispense  with  the  everlasting  gospel- 
ah.  For  one  night-ah,  in  a  vision,  in  a  vision  of  the  night-ah,  I 
dreamed -ah  that  I  had  swallowed  a  stiff-tongued  four-horse  wagon- 
ah,  and  me  thought-ah,  that  the  tongue  of  the  wagon-ah  was 
a  stickin'  out  of  my  mouth-ah,  and  the  chains  were  a  hanging 
down  beside  my  chin- ah,  and  the  chains  were  a  rattlin'-ah,  and 
and  the  tongue  was  a  waggin'-ah,  and  my  beloved  brethering-ah 
and  sisters-ah,  I  knowed  that  God  had  called  me  to  preach 
4 


26  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

his  everlasting  gospel-ah,  and  I  'm  agoin'  for  to  preach  it-ah,  until 
the  day  that  I  die-ah." 

The  same  preacher  exemplified  the  doctrine  of  "  once  in  grace, 
always  in  grace,"  in  this  wise : 

"  My  dear  brethering  and  sisters-ah,  when  a  soul  is  once  con- 
verted-ah,  it  allers  stays  converted-ah.  It 's  jist  like  me  the  other 
day-ah,  I  was  a  goin'  to  Canton-ah,  and  as  I  rid  past  old  Mr. 
Eggers-ah,  old  sister  Eggers  run  out-ah,  and  she  hollered, '  Broth- 
.  er  Tatum-ah,  won't  you  take  a  coon-skin  to  town-ah,  and  sell  it 
and  buy  me  a  plug  of  smokin'  terbacker-ah?'  And  I  said  sartin, 
sister  Eggers-ah;  and  so  I  took  the  coon-skin-ah,  and  when  I  got 
to  town  I  tried  to  sell  it  to  Joel  Wright- ah,  but  he  said  coon-skins 
wer  n't  of  much  account  now-ah,  and  he  would  n't  buy  it-ah,  so  I 
took  it  to  Mr.  Stillman-ah,  and  he  would  n't  buy  neither-ah,  then 
I  tried  to  give  it  to  Mr.  Stillman-ah,  and  he  would  n't  have  it-ah, 
and  then  I  took  it  back  to  Joel  Wright-ah,  and  I  tried  to  give  it 
to  him-ah,  but  he  would  n't  have  it  neither-ah.  So  I  bought  sis- 
ter Eggers  a  plug  of  terbacker-ah,  and  I  tied  the  coon-skin  to  my 
saddle-ah,  a  thinkin'  for  to  lose  it-ah,  and  I  started  for  to  go  back- 
ah,  and  when  I  got  most  back  to  sister  Eggers-ah,  I  heard  some 
body  behind  me  a  hollerin',  'Mr.  Tatum-ah,  Mr.  Tatum-ah,'  and 
my  brethering  and  sisters-ah,  when  I  looked  back-ah,  I  seed  a 
man  a  comin'ah,  with  that  very  coon-skin  in  his  hand-ah,  a  holler- 
in'  'Mr.  Tatum-ah,  you  've  lost  your  coon-skin-ah.'  And  so,  my 
brethering  and  sisters-ah,  it  is  with  religion;  you  can't  sell  it-ah, 
you  can't  give  it  away-ah,  and  you  can't  lose  it." 

'At  a  Methodist  meeting  in  these  early  days,  Daniel  TJlmer,  who 
had  been  a  very  profane  man,  was  at  the  "mourners'  bench,"  and 
was  surrounded  by  the  older  members,  who  were  praying  for  him 
with  primitive  zeal  and  exhorting  him  to  give  himself  up  to  the 
influence  of  religion.  Daniel  at  length  arose  to  his  feet  and  began 
clapping  his  hands  and  shouting  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  "  Glory 
to  God !  I  've  got  religion,  I  've  got  religion,  and  I  do  n't  care  a 
G — d  d — n  who  knows  it."  He  was  perfectly  serious  in  his  ex- 
clamation. The  force  of  habit  only  was  answerable  for  his  re- 
ligious profanity. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  27 

DAEGO  B.  JONES, 

One  of  the  earliest  singing- school  teachers  of  Canton,  was  a 
relative  of  Deacon  Jones.  He  taught  in  the  old  Presbyterian 
Church,  in  about  1837  and  1838.  Jones  was  a  most  enthusiastic 
teacher.  He  loved  his  profession,  and  it  was  with  a  zest  and  rel- 
ish unknown  to  modern  music-masters  that  he  stood  up  before  his 
class  and  beat  time  with  both  hands, —  now  sounding  a  note  to 
show  the  class  how  it  should  be  sounded;  now,  with  a  querulous, 
excited  voice,  checking  some  tuneless  soul  that  was  making  horrid 
discord  with  flats  and  sharps.  Leonard  F.  Ross  and  Robert 
Sebree  laid  the  foundation  for  their  splendid  musical  education  at 
the  singing-school  of  Mr.  Jones,  as  did  also  most  of  those  young 
people  who  lived  in  Canton  and  were  musically  disposed  at  that 
early  period. 


The  first  marriage  of  a  couple  residing  in  Canton  was  that  of 
Isaac  Garland  to  Hannah  Kinney,  which  was  celebrated  by  John 
Orendorff,  Esquire,  at  his  residence  east  of  Canton,  on  the  3d  day 
of  January,  1827. 

Isaac  Swan,  the  proprietor  of  Canton,  was  married  to  Miss 
Eli2abeth  Addis,  by  Esquire  Orendorff,  on  the  16th  of  January, 
1828.  At  this  time  there  was  no  magistrate  and  no  settled  min- 
ister in  Canton.  The  marriage  ceremony  was  performed,  in  the 
few  weddings  that  occurred,  in  most  cases  by  Esquire  Orendorff, 
who  was  exceedingly  popular  as  a  weaver  of  the  nuptial  tie. 

The  first  wedding  celebrated  in  the  Village  of  Canton  was  cele- 
brated by  Esquire  Joel  Wright,  on  the  20th  day  of  October,  1830, 
when  he  united  in  wedlock  Thomas  A.  Morse  to  Miss  Harriet  C. 
Jones,  the  eldest  daughter  of  Deacon  Nathan  Jones. 

Joel  Wright  was  the  first  magistrate  who  resided  in  Canton. 
Mr.  Wright's  commission  bore  date  January  9th,  1830,  and  he 
was  qualified  and  entered  upon  the  duties  of  his  office  May  27th, 
1830. 

Isaiah  Stillman  was  the  next  magistrate  residing  in  town.  His 
commission  was  dated  September  15th,  1831,  and  he  was  qualified 
September  26th  of  the  same  year. 

In  Orion  township,  Sands  N".  Breed  was  qualified  and  entered 
upon  magisterial  duties  August  30th,  1839,  and  Parley  C.  Stearns 
September  17th,  1839.  Both  these  gentlemen  now,  after  the  lapse 
of  thirty-one  years,  are  acting  magistrates  in  the  City  of  Canton. 


28  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


ISAAC  SWAN, 

The  original  proprietor  of  Canton,  was  a  native  of  Vermont,  but 
emigrated  with  his  father  to  Western  New  York  while  that  re- 
gion was  still  a  wilderness.  At  the  age  of  about  twenty  years 
he  left  New  York,  in  company  with  his  brother-in-law  Nathan 
Jones,  and  started  for  the  Great  West.  Making  several  short  tar- 
ryings  in  different  parts  of  Indiana,  they  finally  established  them- 
selves in  St.  Clair  county,  Illinois,  about  1818.  They  remained 
there  until  1820,  when  they  removed  to  Montgomery  county,  and 
tarried  there  until  1824,  when  they  removed  to  Fulton  county, 
arriving  at  the  present  location  of  Canton  in  the  spring  of  that 
year.  Isaac  Swan  was  a  man  nearly  six  feet  in  hight,  splendidly 
proportioned,  and  remarkable  even  among  pioneers  for  his  strength 
and  activity.  His  courage  was  unquestioned,  and  made  him  a 
valuable  acquisition  to  any  new  settlement  in  which  his  lot  was 
cast. 

Mr.  Swan  had  only  such  education  as  could  be  obtained  in  the 
log  school-houses  of  Erie  county,  New  York,  fifty-five  and  sixty 
y eirs  ago ;  yet  he  had  so  far  improved  his  limited  opportunities 
as  to  have  been  considered  a  man  of  fair  education.  He  was  a 
Methodist,  an  honest  man  and  a  good  citizen,  one  whose  word 
was  his  bond.  He  gave  to  Canton  its  establishment  and  almost 
all  of  its  early  prosperity  —  his  enterprise  and  energy  directing 
attention  to  it  and  bringing  in  new  settlers,  who  were  attracted 
by  the  desire  to  settle  near  him,  in  many  cases.  He  was  killed 
by  the  storm  in  1835. 


As  early  as  1833,  Rafe  Dixon,  Emsley  Fouts  and  George  Smith 
owned  and  operated  a  small  distillery  on  Duck  Creek.  This  was 
a  small,  old-fashioned  copper  still,  and  made  pure  if  not  palat- 
able whisky  from  corn.  It  is  related  of  some  of  the  pioneers 
that  they  would,  when  in  need  of  their  accustomed  beverage, 
shell  a  bushel  of  corn,  put  it  on  a  horse,  mount  on  top,  and  ride 
to  Gabriel  Waiting's  little  band  mill  on  Copperas  Creek,  get  their 
grist  "  cracked,"  then  ride  over  with  it  to  the  Duck-Creek  Distil- 
lery and  wait  until  it  could  be  turned  into  "  sperrits."  They  were 
some  times  plagued  very  much  while  at  the  distillery  by  a  fellow 
by  the  name  of  Garron,  who,  it  was  asserted,  would  drink  the 
whisky  as  fast  as  it  ran  from  the  still. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  29 

Daniel  Babbett,  from  Scott  county,  Indiana,  came  to  Fulton 
county,  and  landed  at  the  Cottonwood  Grove,  three  miles  south- 
west of  Canton,  on  the  8th  day  of  January,  1828.  Cotton  wood 
Grove  farm  was  then  owned  and  occupied  by  Elias  Foster.  His 
family,  consisting  of  his  four  sons,  Jacob,  William,  Daniel  and 
Silas,  and  two  daughters,  Cynthia  and  Christina,  were  considered 
a  great  acquisition  to  pioneer  society.  The  daughters  soon  mar- 
ried—  Cynthia  being  chosen  by  John  Swegle,  and  Christina  be- 
coming the  wife  of  John  W.  Abbott.  Mr.  Babbett  farmed  a  por- 
tion of  the  Foster  —  now  Barnard  —  farm  the  first  season,  selling 
his  surplus  to  and  purchasing  his  goods  of  John  Coleman,  sen., 
who  at  that  time  was  the  owner  of  the  only  stock  of  goods  in 
Canton. 

Mr.  Babbett  soon  moved  nearer  Canton,  some  where  east  or 
northeast  of  town,  and  followed  his  trade,  that  of  a  brick  and 
stone  mason. 

Mr.  Babbett  was  not  a  church-member,  but  was  an  attendant  on 
the  ministrations  of  Rev.  James  Tatum,  Rev.  Strickland,  and  other 
pioneer  preachers.  His  children  were  sent  to  school,  during  the 
winter,  to  a  Mr.  Cubbidge,  who  was  teaching  in  a  log  out-build- 
ing belonging  to  Col.  Barnes.  Mr.  Babbett  boasted,  in  his  life- 
time that  he  had  had  no  occasion  for  bolts  or  locks  in  those  early 
days,  and  that  crime  was  unknown. 

In  1833,  Mr.  Babbett  moved  into  Farmington  township,  where 
he  was  elected  magistrate  the  same  year,  and  was  regularly  re- 
elected  up  to  April,  1847  or  1848. 

Silas  Babbett,  the  youngest 'of  Daniel's  sons,  is  still  a  resident 
of  Fulton  county,  residing  in  Farmington  township,  eight  miles 
north  of  Canton.  He  was  elected  sheriff  of  the  county  in  18G8, 
which  position  he  held  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  people  for 
one  full  term. 


STUMP  QUARTERS. 

The  "stump  quarter"  was  one  of  the  pioneer  institutions. 
Without  it  many  a  prairie  farm  would  have  gone  unfenced  for  a 
long  time,  many  a  fire  been  more  scantily  supplied  with  fuel,  and 
many  a  "  speculator  "  the  better  off  financially  on  making  sale  of 
his  tract  of  western  land.  The  "stump  quarter"  was  a  conven- 
ient tract  of  land  owned  by  some  eastern  "  land-shark,"  as  the 
non-resident  owner  was  dubbed.  To  tax  him  inordinately  was 


30  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

considered  good  and  sound  political  economy,  and  to  steal  the 
timber  from  his  lot,  if  it  happened  to  be  wooded,  was  not  looked 
upon  as  an  offense.  The  Morse  quarter  was  one  of  the  first 
"stump  quarters"  contiguous  to  Canton,  and  was  completely 
bared  of  its  timber  at  quite  an  early  day.  The  next  in  course 
was  what  was  known  as  the  "  Canton  quarter,"  west  and  north  of 
the  Lewistown  Bridge.  This  furnished  fuel  for  perhaps  a  dozen 
years,  and  fencing  for  twice  that  number  of  small  farms.  After 
this  came  the  "Rawalt  quarter,"  northeast  of  town,  just  north  of 
what  was  known  to  the  old  settlers  as  the  Jacobs  or  Shecklar 
place.  Both  these  quarters  were  owned  by  speculators,  and  when 
the  first  attack  was  made,  the  best  citizens  of  the  surrounding 
country  thought  it  no  moral  wrong  to  swing  their  axes  vigorously 
into  the  timber  of  the  odious  "  land-shark,"  while  it  would  have 
been  difficult  to  find  a  pioneer  jury  who  would  have  rendered  a 
verdict  for  stealing  timber  in  such  cases. 

Ministers  as  well  as  congregations  would  participate  in  these 
attacks,  and  it  is  a  fact  that  the  old  Congregational  Church  in 
Canton  was  framed  from  "stump-quarter"  timber.  A  "bee"  was 
made,  church-members  and  world's  people  turned  out  together, 
and  in  one  day  the  timber  was  felled,  much  of  it  scored,  hewed 
and  hauled,  and  Deacon  Jones,  Lyman  Walker,  Cheeny  Jones, 
and  a  host  of  others  —  good,  pure-hearted  Christian  men,  against 
whom  no  breath  of  calumny  has  ever  blown, —  aided  and  abetted. 
"  We  settle  the  country,"  said  they ;  "  we  bear  the  burden  of  pio- 
neer life;  our  labors  make  these  lands  valuable;  and  we  will  make 
the  non-resident  owner  pay  us  for  our  labor  in  his  behalf,  whether 
willingly  or  not."  It  is  true  that  most  of  these  "stump  quarters" 
were  thin  clay  land,  of  but  little  value  except  for  timber,  and 
when  divested  of  that  were  comparatively  worthless;  still,  with 
the  one  argument  conscience  was  stilled  and  the  taking  of  other 
men's  property  justified.  Custom,  popular  and  powerful  custom, 
made  the  law  and  furnished  the  justification. 


BRISK  BUSINESS. 

Coon-skins  were  currency  up  to  1835,  and  values  were  frequent- 
ly expressed  in  coon-skins.  Whisky  was  one  coon-skin  per  quart. 
Childs  &  Stillman  were  selling  it  at  that  price,  and  their  store 
was  a  place  of  resort  in  consequence.  The  counter  of  this  store 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  31 

was  a  rude  affair,  and  the  front  of  it  not  closely  jointed :  indeed, 
there  were  interstices  between  the  clapboard  panels  through 
which  a  coon-skin  could  be  readily  pulled.  One  day  Jesse  Dol- 
lar called  for  a  quart  of  whiskey,  and  in  payment  handed  over  his 
coon-skin.  The  coon-skin  was  tossed  under  the  counter,  and  the 
whisky  drank  among  the  crowd.  Dollar  had  a  ramrod  in  his 
hands  with  a  wiping-screw  on  the  end.  This  he  slyly  inserted 
through  the  cracks  in  the  front  of  the  counter,  and,  twisting  it 
into  the  fur,  drew  it  out,  and  with  it  paid  for  the  second  quart, 
which  was  also  passed  through  the  admiring  crowd.  Dollar  was 
liberal,  generous,  indeed  prodigal,  with  his  one  coon-skin,  making 
it  pay  for  five  quarts  of  whisky  in  almost  that  number  of  minutes. 
Childs  &  Stillman  were  pleased  at  their  prosperous  trade.  The 
crowd  were  pleased  at  the  joke,  and  Dollar  was  glorious. 


PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH  HISTORY. 

THE  original  records  of  this  church  —  copies  of  which  are  still 
preserved  —  are  in  some  respects  very  full  and  complete,  in  others 
sadly  deficient.  It  appears  that  the  first  organization  included  all 
the  Presbyterians  at  that  time  (1828)  residing  in  the  county,  and 
had  at  first  no  local  habitation.  The  record  says : 

"  This  church  was  formed,  the  Rev.  John  M.  Ellis  presiding, 
Sept.  13th,  1828,  consisting  of  the  following  persons:  Nathan 
Jones,  Samuel  Mallory,  William  Proctor,  Robert  Grant,  Jane 
Grant,  Matilda  Jones,  and  Elizabeth  Jacobs.  Samuel  Mallory 
and  Nathan  Jones  were  chosen  Elders.  Sermon  preached  on  the 
occasion  by  Rev.  J.  M.  Ellis." 

Where  this  and  several  subsequent  meetings  were  held  does 
not  appear  from  the  record. 

On  the  14th  of  the  same  month,  "William  Proctor  was  chosen 
Elder,  and  Samuel  Mallory  and  Wm.  Proctor  ordained  —  Nathan 
Jones  having  been  previously  ordained.1'  The  record  says  that 
on  this  day  the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered  at  Lewistown, 
and  several  baptized,  and  Nathan  Jones  the  same  day  appointed 
a  delegate  to  the  Presbytery. 


32  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

"Nov.  llth,  Rev.  Solomon  Hardy  preached  in  Canton."  Dec. 
21st,  "The  sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  was  administered  in 
Canton,  by  Rev.  Horace  Smith."  "Jan.  1st,  1829,  a  meeting  was 
held  at  the  house  of  Isaac  Hulick." 

Meetings  seem  to  have  been  held,  during  the  first  few  years  of 
the  church's  existence,  alternately  at  Canton  and  Lewistown,  and 
the  church  to  have  been  called  "  The  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Fulton  County." 

The  record  for  July  18th,  1829,  is  dated  at  Lewistown  —  Rev. 
John  G.  Bergen,  of  Sangamon  county,  presiding  at  the  session. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  Session  held  July  4th,  1830,  the  follow- 
ing was  adopted : 

"Believing  that  the  use  of  ardent  spirits  is  the  cause  of  form- 
ing intemperate  appetites  and  habits,  and  that  while  it  is  con- 
tinued the  evils  of  intemperance  can  never  be  prevented;  the 
members  of  this  church  do  agree  that  we  will  abstain  from  the 
use  of  distilled  spirits,  except  as  a  medicine  in  case  of  sickness, 
or  for  external  applications ;  and  that  we  will  not  allow  the  use  of 
them  in  our  families,  and  neither  give  nor  sell  them  to  our  neigh- 
bors or  friends,  or  persons  in  our  employment,  and  that  we  will 
discountenance  the  use  of  them  in  all  suitable  ways  in  the  com- 
munity." 

At  this  time — July  4th,  1830  —  the  following  were  the  names 
of  all  the  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Fulton  County. 


Nathan  Jones, 
Samuel  Mallory, 
Win.  Proctor, 
Robert  Grant, 
Matilda  Jones, 
Betsy  Chase, 
Elizabeth  Owens, 
Parnock  Owens, 
Alethia  Owens, 
Ezra  Fairchild, 
Anna  Fairchild, 
Thalia  Rice, 
Benj.  H.  Miles, 
Sarah  Beadles,  sen., 
Sarah  Beadles,  jun., 
Thalia  Beadles, 


Adelia  Rice, 
Susan  Ross, 
Thos.  E.  Dunham, 
Sabrina  Mallory, 
Helen  Tyler, 
Phebe  Nichols, 
Sarah  Ann  Jacobs, 
Hannah  Jones, 
Rebecca  Henderson, 
Joseph  M.  Kelso, 
Nancy  Kelso, 
Phebe  Gunsaulis, 
James  McPheters, 
Mary  McPheters, 
Robert  McPheters, 
Eliza  Ann  McPheters, 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


33 


Henry  Belford, 
Jane  Harris, 
Eliza  Anderson, 
Elizabeth  Beadles, 
Olivia  D.  Barnes, 
Louisa  D.  Farnum, 
May  Waugli, 
Elizabeth  Westerfield, 
Williston  Jones, 
Elraira  Jones, 
Electa  Fairchild, 
Win.  K.  Nichols, 
Asaph  Rice, 
Abigail  Rice, 
Hannah  Miles, 
Juliet  Warren, 
Erasmus  D.  Rice, 
George  R.  Rowland, 
Jane  Grant, 
Elizabeth  Jones, 
Laura  Proctor, 
Emily  Wright, 
George  Jacobs, 
Rowland  Burbridge, 
Mary  Clark, 
Christopher  Miles, 


John  J.  Culton, 
John  Huff, 
Rhoda  Osburn, 
Isabel  T.  Miles, 
Roswell  C.  Jerome, 
Amanda  Jerome, 
Samuel  Warnock, 
Betsy  Harkness, 
Polly  Bagley, 
Peter  Westerfield, 
Isaac  Hulick, 
Ruth  Ann  Hulick, 
Sarah  R.  Rowland, 
Mary  Clark, 
Robt.  Taylor, 
Dianthy  Wright, 
Samuel  G.  Wright, 
Eliza  M.  Wright, 
Diana  Wright, 
Jno.  M.  Wright, 
Jemima  Dewey, 
Jno.  McPheters, 
Casey  Westerfield, 
Archibald  Henderson, 
Deborah  Orbison, 
Sally  Westerfield, 
Maria  Jacobs. 


Eugenie  Madison, 
Eighty-six  members  in  all,  in  the  county. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  Lewistown,  August  6th,  1831,  it  was,  "af- 
ter some  deliberation,  thought  desirable  and  expedient  that  Rev. 
Messrs.  Barnes  and  Farnum  labor  the  current  year  in  this  county  " ; 
and  at  the  same  meeting  the  following  "vote  passed":  "viz.,  to 
raise  by  subscription  whatever  we  can  in  the  county,  either  in 
money  or  produce,  for  the  support  of  the  Gospel";  also,  "that 
Messrs.  Proctor,  Jones,  Miles,  Westerfield,  Drs.  Rice,  jun.  and 
sen.,  be  a  committee  to  draft  a  subscription-paper,  circulate  it, 
collect  the  subscription,  and  pay  over  the  same  to  Messrs.  Barnes 
and  Farnum,  dividing  it  between  them  as,  in  their  judgment,  shall 
be  thought  best ;  also,  said  committee  shall,  in  rotation,  take  care 
to  inquire  into  the  wants  of  the  families  of  Rev.  Messrs.  Barnes 
and  Farnum,  from  time  to  time,  and  see  that  they  are  seasonably 
supplied  with  all  the  necessaries  of  life  —  eacli  member  of  the 
committee  acting  in  succession  one  month  at  a  time  during  the 
year." 


34  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Up  to  this  period  the  Canton  portion  of  the  Presbyterian  So- 
ciety had  been  assembling  for  worship  at  private  houses  or  at  the 
log  school-house  on  Wood  street.  They  were  beginning  to  be 
strong  under  the  care  of  Romulus  Barnes,  their  pastor,  who  was 
a  man  of  talent  and  of  indomitable  energy.  They  now  felt  called 
upon  to  build  for  themselves  a  house  of  worship.  The  "Old 
Constitution"  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  vested  the  title  of  all 
church  property  in  the  Presbyterian  General  Synod,  and  this  was 
the  only  objection  that  existed  in  the  minds  of  the  society  to  pre- 
vent them  from  making  an  eifort  to  build.  They  wanted  to  con- 
trol the  property,  and  were  unwilling  to  intrust  it  to  any  body 
that  was  distant  from  and  did  not  understand  them.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1832,  a  meeting  was  held  of  the  members  of  the  society,  at 
which  it  was  determined  to  make  an  effort  to  build,  with  the  ex- 
press provision  that  the  church  property  should  be  vested,  not  in 
the  General  Synod,  but  in  the  subscribers  to  the  building-fund. 

The  following  is  a  copy  from  the  record  of  this  subscription : 

"  We,  the  undersigned,  willing  to  aid  in  the  support  of  the  Gos- 
pel, and  feeling  the  need  of  a  house  for  the  worship  of  God,  do 
agree  to  pay  the  sums  annexed  to  our  several  names  for  the  erec- 
tion of  a  house  for  the  said  object.  Said  house  shall  be  built  ac- 
cording to  the  directions  of  the  subscribers,  and  shall  be  held  in 
trust  (1)  for  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  and  denomination  in 
Canton,  according  to  the  direction  of  the  subscribers,  when  built. 
The  subscribers  shall  not  be  holden  to  their  subscriptions  until 
the  old  constitution  shall  be  disposed  of. 

NAMES.  AMOUNTS. 

Mr.  Arthur  Tappan — by  order  (2) $100  00 

Mr.  John  Tillson— Hillsborough(3) 50  00 

J.  Wright 50  00 

Ezra  Fairchild  (in  plank) 10  00 

Peter  Westerfield  (in  property) 30  00 

Samuel  Mallory 10  00 

Wm.  K.  Nichols  (work) 10  00 

Carried  forward,     $260  00 

(')  It  will  be  observed  that  this  church  was  not  to  belong  to  the  Presby- 
terian Church,  but  to  be  held  in  trust  for  it. 

(2)  Arthur  Tappan  was  a  well-known  gentleman  of  New- York  City,  noted 
for  his  wealth  and  liberality. 

(3)  John  Tillson  was  a  large  owner  of  western  lands,  some  of  which  were 
located  near  Canton. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  35 

Brought  forward,     $260  00 

Nathan  Jones  (work  and  materials) 50  00    , 

Cash  pledged 40  00 

Asaph  Rice  (in  plank) 15  00 

Romulus  Barnes  (materials) 10  00 

Isaac  Hulick  (produce) 5  00 

George  Jacobs  (work) 25  00 

John  Huff  (work  or  lumber) 15  00 

Wells  Tyler  (joiner  work) 10  00 

Isaiah  Stillman 50  00 

D.  B.  Jones   (lumber) 10  00 

H.  LaMasters  (produce  or  labor) 10  00 

J.  M.  Kelso  (produce) 10  00 

Jos.  Anderson  (work) 10  00 

Finis  McCutcheon 5  00 

Marvin  Tryon  (labor) 15  00 

John   Sempson 3  00 

Wm.  S.  Williams 10  00 

Jacob  Ellis  (lumber) 10  00 

James  McPheters 25  00 

Royal  and  S.  G.  Wright  (produce  or  labor) . 40  00 

John  J.  Culton 4  00 

Robt.  Taylor  (hauling) 10  00 

Oliver  Dewey  (labor) 10  00 

Milton  C.  Dewey 6  00 

Lyman  Ensign 500 

Total  subscription $663  00 

On  the  26th  of  February,  a  meeting  of  the  subscribers  to  the 
meeting-house  was  held  in  the  school-house,  with  Nathan  Jones 
as  chairman  and  Rev.  Romulus  Barnes  as  secretary,  and  it  was 
"  voted  that  the  old  constitution  and  all  the  obligations  which  it 
imposes  be  and  hereby  is  null  and  void.  Yeas,  9;  Nays,  2."  A. 
plan  for  the  new  meeting-house  was  received  and  read.  The  sub- 
scription-paper was  by  vote  amended  in  its  last  clause  to  read 
"  according  to  the  direction  of  the  subscribers  when  built."  A 
building  committee  was  now  selected,  consisting  of  Isaiah  Still- 
man, Joel  Wright,  and  Dargo  B.  Jones.  It  was  further  voted 
that  the  building  committee  be  authorized  to  collect  the  subscrip- 
tions, to  contract  for  and  superintend  the  building  of  a  house  of 
such  size  and  on  such  a  plan  as  they  may  think  proper. 


36  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

This  committee  went  to  work,  and  worked  faithfully  until  they 
had  the  satisfaction  of  announcing  the  new  church  ready  for  oc- 
cupancy. 

The  Session  Record  of  the  Presbyterian  Church  gives  no  men- 
tion of  the  building  of  this  house,  of  its  dedication,  or  first  occu- 
pancy. It  says,  under  date  April  28th,  1833, "Session  met  at  the 
house  of  Elder  Jones,"  while  the  record  of  the  next  meeting  of 
the  session,  dated  Canton,  August  llth,  1833,  reads,  "  Session 
met  at  the  meeting-house,  and  was  opened  by  prayer  " :  so  that 
it  must  have  been  opened  for  occupancy  some  time  between  those 
two  dates. 

"April  7th,  1834,  Fulton  County  Presbyterian  Church  met, 
agreeably  to  a  previous  arrangement,  and,  after  meeting  was 
opened  by  prayer  by  Rev.  Rob't  Stewart,  proceeded  to  elect  by 
ballot  the  four  following  persons  to  the  office  of  Ruling  Elders, 
viz.,  Rob't  Taylor,  Royal  Wright,  Asaph  Rice,  and  Peter  West- 
erfield."  There  was  a  session  meeting  the  same  day,  of  which  the 
record  says,  "Session  met  and  was  opened  by  prayer — present, 
Robert  Stewart,  minister";  from  which  it  appears  that  Mr.  Stew- 
art became  pastor  of  the  church  in  March  or  April,  1834.  He 
continued  as  the  pastor  of  the  church  until  after  the  division, 
which  occurred  in  September,  1838.  Mr.  Stewart  was  a  man  of 
fine  talents,  good  education,  a  fair  speaker,  and  one  who  gave 
constant  evidence,  in  his  walk  and  conversation,  that  he  was  in- 
deed a  follower  of  that  Jesus  whom  he  preached.  Under  his 
pastoral  care  the  church  waxed  strong,  until  the  division  between 
the  Old  and  New  School  occurred,  and  then  his  example  and  in- 
fluence held  two-thirds  of  the  church  in  the  New-School  wing, 
which  he  had  selected  as,  in  his  judgment,  the  true  church. 

On  the  28th  of  March,  1835,  Samuel  G.  Wright  was  set  apart 
to  the  office  of  Ruling  Elder.  Mr.  Ezra  Fairchild  was  also  set  apart 
to  the  same  office  at  the  next  meeting,  and  both  continued  for  a 
long  period  with  this  church  as  elders.  x 

Up  to  January,  1836,  Lewistown  and  Canton  were  each  in- 
cluded in  the  boundaries  of  the  Fulton  County  Presbyterian 
Church.  On  the  10th  day  of  January,- 1836,  the  session  met,  and 
it  was  "  Ordered  that  the  request  of  the  following-named  persons 
for  letters  of  dismission,  in  order  to  form  a  church  at  Lewistown, 
be  granted,  viz.,  to  Wm.  Proctor,  Benj.  A.  Miles,  Jas.  Gilson, 
Christopher  B.  Miles,  Thalia  N.  Rice}  Juliet  E.  Warden,  Eugenia 


CANTON:   ITS   PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  37 

E.  Madison,  Rhoda  Osborne,  Isabel  T.  Miles,  Laura  Proctor, 
Erasmus  D.  Rice,  Asaph  Rice,  Abigail  Rice,  and  Jane  Rice" — 
fourteen  persons  in  all.  At  the  next  meeting  of  the  session  this 
list  was  extended  by  the  granting  of  letters  for  the  same  purpose 
to  Wm.  Elliot,  jun.,  Julia  Phelps,  and  Adelia  Rice. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  session  held  June  24th,  1838,  Samuel  G. 
Wright  was  received  into  the  church,  and  it  was  ordered  "  that 
Brother  Wright,  having  been  a  ruling  elder  in  our  church,  retain 
his  office  of  eldership." 

THE  CHURCH  DIVISION. 

The  records  of  both  the  Old  and  New  School  Churches  are 
exceedingly  indefinite  in  regard  to  the  division  of  the  Presbyte- 
rian Church  of  Canton.  It  appears  that  united  it  had  prospered 
and  become  a  strong  and  powerful  church.  Rer.  Robert  Stewart 
was  pastor,  and  was  in  sympathy  with  the  New  School,  as  were 
all  but  two  of  the  elders  and  nearly  all  the  members  of  the  church. 
The  Old-School  record  shows  only  the  following  entry  upon  this 
subject,  under  no  date.  The  record  says: 

"  The  following  preamble  and  resolution  is  a  record  of  facts 
adopted  by  the  session  and  members  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  Canton,  September,  1838,  by  unanimous  consent: 

"  'WHEREAS,  Our  church  has  become  large,  and  infected  with  some  of 
the  prevailing  heresies  and  disorders  of  the  times,  which  are  maintained 
and  practiced  in  our  midst ;  and  wJiereas,  errors  are  taught  and  received 
which  are  at  variance  with  the  Bible  and  our  Confession  of  Faith,  and  per- 
sons are  received  to  membership  from  other  denominations  with  all  their 
prejudices  alive  against  our  doctrines  and  order,  and  without  being  required 
to  renounce  them ;  and  wJiereas,  these  disorders  are  becoming  every  day 
more  glaring  and  barefaced,  and  our  church  as  a  body  has  virtually  rejected 
its  own  system  of  doctrines  and  order ;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we,  the  undersigned,  elders  and  members  of  this  church, 
will  continue  to  revere  and  maintain  the  doctrines  and  order  of  our  church 
in  this  place  as  the  Presbyterian  Church.' 

j  James  McPheters, 
\  Robert  Taylor. 

Members. 
Alex.  McPheters,  Martha  Jane  Warnock, 


Elizabeth  McPheters, 
Mary  McPheters, 
John  McPheters, 
Win.  McPheters, 
Mary  McPheters, 
Samuel  Warnock, 
Rebecca  Henderson, 
Julia  Kelly, 


Joseph  M.  Kelso, 
Nancy  Kelso, 
Robert  C.  Culton, 
Mary  Ann  Culton, 
Jno.  Culton, 
Abigail  Culton, 
Archibald  Henderson, 
Elizabeth  Henderson. 

(Signed)         JAMES  McPHETERS,  Clerk." 


38  CANTON:   ITS  PIONEERS  AND   HISTORY. 

This  action  seems  to  have  consummated  the  division  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church.  .  On  the  one  hand  was  a  party,  in- 
cluding the  pastor,  Rev.  Robert  Stewart,  with  elders  Jones,  Mai- 
lory,  R.  Wright,  Fairchild  —  who  afterward  went  to  the  other 
branch, —  S.  G.  Wright,  and  a  large  majority  of  the  members;  on 
the  other  hand,  two  of  the  elders,  viz.,  James  McPheters  and 
Robert  Taylor,  with  nineteen  members.  Each  party  claimed  to 
be  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Canton.  Each  claimed  to 
adhere  to  the  original  church  constitution  and  articles  of  faith. 
Who  were  the  seceders  ?  Did  the  few  leave  the  many  ?  or,  did 
the  many  leave  the  few  ?  I  choose  to  believe,  from  the  testimony, 
that  right  here  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  Canton  ceased 
to  exist,  and  that  right  here  was  brought  into  existence  the  Old- 
School  Presbyterian  Church  of  Canton  and  the  New-School 
Presbyterian  —  since  changed  into  the  Congregational — Church 
of  Canton. 

If  the  old  First  Church  continued  to  exist  at  all,  it  must  have 
been  with  the  majority,  who  had  the  officers  and  the  pastor,  as 
well  as  the  records  and  rules  of  faith.  And  yet,  it  soon  became 
evident  that  the  two  were  widely  divergent  in  doctrine  and  prac- 
tice. One  insensibly  became  Congregational;  the  other  was  at 
the  beginning,  and  has  ever  continued,  orthodox  and  rigid  Old- 
School. 

The  new  Presbyterian  organization  continued  to  meet,  alter- 
nately with  the  other  new  organization,  at  the  church.  At  the 
first  meeting  after  the  division,  held  October  28th,  1838,  it  was 
resolved  that, 

"WHEREAS,  The  Synod  lias  constituted  the  Presbytery  of  Peoria,  and 
our  church,  lying  within  the  bounds  of  this  presbytery,  naturally  conies 
under  its  care;  and  whereas,  our  church  is  vacant,  and  needs  the  dispensa- 
tion of  the  word  and  ordinances ;  therefore, 

"Resolved,  That  we  petition  the  presbytery  for  supplies  at  its  next  meeting." 

The  minutes  of  the  new  church,  under  date  December  29th, 
1839,  acknowledge  in  direct  terms  that  they  had  come  out  of  the 
old  church,  by  the  following  entry :  "December  29th,  1839.'  The 
members  of  the  church  convened  at  the  house  of  Elder  James 
McPheters,  who  opened  the  meeting  with  prayer.  The  follow- 
ing-named persons,  who  had  still  retained  their  connection  with 
the  New-School  Church,  signified  their  desire  to  be  considered 
members  of  this  Presbyterian  church,  viz.,  Elder  Miner  Sherwood, 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  39 

Rahab  Sherwood,  Harriet  Philinda  Sherwood,  Ezra  Fail-child, 
Anna  Fairchild,  Electa  Fairchild."  It  was  also  resolved,  at  this 
meeting,  to  establish  a  weekly  prayer-meeting,  and  also  "to 
make  every  effort  to  obtain  a  minister  and  support  the  Gospel." 

This  record  was  signed  by  James  McPheters,  clerk. 

The  church  was  supplied  on  Sabbath,  January  15th,  1840,  by 
Rev.  Samuel  McCune,  of  Marshall  county.  On  the  9th  of  the 
following  July  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  on  the  5th  of 
September  was  installed,  at  an  annual  salary  of  five  hundred 
dollars. 

Mr.  McCune  proved  a  very  acceptable  pastor,  remaining  here 
until  1850,  a  period  of  nearly  ten  years.  Mr.  McCune  was  not  a 
brilliant  man,  but  eminently  pious  and  thoroughly  in  sympathy 
with  the  doctrines  of  his  church.  He  was  a  close  and  deep 
reasoner,  somewhat  prosy,  but  never  illogical.  His  sermons 
strengthened  and  sustained  the  brethren,  but  made  little  impress- 
ion on  sinners.  He  may  be  called  the  first  pastor  of  the  Old- 
School  Presbyterian  Church. 

Some  time  about  1840,  the  church  property  was  divided  ami- 
cably between  the  two  churches.  The  old  church  edifice  went  to 
the  Old-School,  and  the  bell  was  taken  by  the  New-School  party. 
The  church  edifice  had  become  dilapidated.  The  ground  upon 
which  it  stood  did  not  belong  to  the  old  First  Church ;  conse- 
quently, the  bell  was  considered  fully  if  not  more  than  an  equiva- 
lent jbr  the  church.  This  building,  however,  was  historical.  It 
was  the  first  church  erected  in  Canton.  It  had  also  been  used  as 
a  school-house  when,  for  a  considerable  period  after  the  old  log 
school-house  had  been  destroyed,  Austin  J.  Barber,  and  other 
•pioneer  pedagogues  had  instructed  the  youth  of  Canton.  Not- 
withstanding its  old  associations,  it  was  becoming  an  eyesore  to 
the  citizens,  and  it  was  determined  to  remove  it.  Accordingly, 
in  about  1841,  a  lot  was  purchased  on  Elm  street,  between  Third 
and  Fourth  streets,  and  the  old  church  removed  to  that  location. 
It  was  also  at  this  time  remodeled  and  enlarged,  and  is  still 
standing,  being  now  in  use  by  the  United  Brethren. 

In  September,  1850,  Mr.  McCune  dissolved  his  connection  with 
the  church,  and  there  was  no  regular  supply  until  in  December 
of  the  same  year,  when  Rev.  Isaac  Bennett  was  invited  to  the 
pastoral  care  of  the  church.  Mr.  Bennett  continued  in  the  pas- 
toral charge  of  the  church,  giving  satisfaction  to  his  hearers  in 


40  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

both  doctrines  and  Christian  deportment,  until  the  time  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  on  the  16th  day  of  June,  1856,  after  hav- 
ing labored  here  about  four  years. 

After  the  death  of  Mr.  Bennett,  the  church  had  no  regular  pas- 
tor, but  was  supplied  for  short  periods  by  a  number  of  clergy- 
men, among  whom  the  first  was  Rev.  Geo.  Stebbins,  of  Rock- 
River  Presbytery,  who  remained  with  the  church  six  months, 
dating  from  the  19th  of  October,  1856.  The  next  supply  was 
Rev.  J.  V.  Dodge,  who  also  remained  six  months,  beginning  his 
ministration  May  24th,  1857,  and  receiving  a  salary  at  the  rate  of 
six  hundred  dollars  per  annum.  Rev.  John  Cochran  was  engaged 
as  the  next  supply,  beginning  his  ministry  here  on  the  6th  day  of 
November,  1859,  and  remaining  about  ten  months  in  charge. 

From  the  fall  of  1861  until  August,  1863,  the  church  was  with- 
out a  minister,  and  depended  upon  the  reading  of  sermons  by 
some  of  the  elders  or  leading  members. 

The  church  engaged  Rev.  S.  M.  Crissman  as  their  supply,  and 
he  began  his  ministration  August  2d,  1863,  and  remained  with 
the  church  here  until  about  the  1st  of  January,  1865.  Rev.  C. 
Reed  succeeded  him  immediately,  and  acted  as  pastor  from  that 
time  until  in  the  summer  of  1868,  when  he  dissolved  his  connec- 
tion with  the  congregation.  Mr.  Reed  was  succeeded  by  Rev. 
Josiah  Moore,  a  licentiate  of  Sangamon  Presbytery,  who  was  en- 
gaged as  a  "  supply "  September  4th,  1868.  Mr.  Moore,  being 
acceptable  to  his  congregation,  was  called  to  the  pastoral  care  of 
the  church  on  the  25th  of  March,  1869.  The  call  was  accepted, 
and  on  the  meeting  of  the  Presbytery  of  Peoria,  which  convened 
at  French  Grove,  he  was  confirmed  to  the  call.  The  presbytery  ad- 
journed to,  and  did  meet  for  his  ordination  and  installation  at 
the  Presbyterian  Church  at  Canton,  on  the  llth  of  May,  1869. 
Mr.  Moore  still  remains  in  the  pastoral  care  of  the  church. 

In  the  latter  part  of  the  last  decade  the  Presbyterian  Society  be- 
gan to  feel  the  need  of  a  new  house  of  worship.  The  old  church, 
which  for  so  many  years  had  done  double  duty  as  church  and 
school-house,  on  the  Public  Square ;  which  had  stood  so  long  in 
its  present  location  that  babes  christened  within  its  walls  had  re- 
turned with  babes  of  their  own  to  be  christened  at  the  same  font; 
the  church  around  which  so  many  precious  memories  clustered, 
until  every  plank  in  its  floor  and  nail  in  its  door  had  became  sa- 
credly enshrined  in  the  hearts  of  those  who  for  so  long  a  period 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  41 

had  worshiped  there,  was  becoming  too  small,  too  dilapidated, 
to  longer  accommodate  the  society.  They  accordingly  deter- 
mined to  build  themselves  a  new  church  edifice,  that  should  be  an 
honor  to  the  city  as  well  as  to  the  society. 

The  church  was  poor,  comparatively ;  yet  it  was  full  of  zeal, 
and  for  it  to  undertake  was  to  accomplish.  Several  locations 
were  proposed,  but  finally  a  lot  was  selected  and  purchased  from 
the  estate  of  Lyman  Walker,  on  Jones  street,  north  side,  between 
Third  and  Fourth  streets.  Upon  this  lot  a  church  edifice  was 
erected,  costing — including  ground  —  in  the  neighborhood  of 
$12,000.  The  new  church  was  dedicated  on  the  16th  of  January, 
1870.  It  is  built  of  brick,  with  stone  trimmings,  contains  abase- 
ment and  one  story,  in  which  is  the  hall  for  worship.  The  build- 
ing was  planned  by  G.  P.  Randall,  of  Chicago,  and  is  an  exceed- 
ingly neat  and  tasteful  edifice,  lighted  with  elegant  stained-glass 
windows,  and  built  in  a  style  of  architecture  peculiarly  Americajn, 
that  is  distantly  copied  from  the  Gothic. 

The  ladies  of  the  society  are  entitled  to  great  credit  for  their 
enterprise,  in  having  purchased  and  paid  for  the  first  brick,  the 
stained  glass  for  the  windows,  chandeliers,  Bible,  carpeting, 
chairs,  instrument,  registers,  etc.  The  society  is  now  in  a  pros- 
perous condition,  with  a  fine  prospect  for  continued  usefulness. 


THE  CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH. 

As  has  been  stated  in  the  history  of  the  Presbyterian  Church, 
at  the  time  of  the  divison  four  of  the  elders  and  a  large  majority 
of  the  members  of  the  old  First  Presbyterian^Church^continued 
with  the  pastor  in  what  became  the  New-School  Presbyterian,  aud 
at  a  later  period  the  Congregational  Church. 

It  seems  to  be  a  fact  that,  by  the  division,  the  old  Presbyterian 
Church  practically  ceased  to  exist,  and  from  its  members  two  new 
churches  came  into  existence.  Neither  of  these  churches  appears 
to  have  reorganized :  each  took  from  the  old  church  elders  and 
members,  being  all  that  was  required  under  the  discipline  to  con- 
stitute a  church.  Each,  therefore,  came  into  existence  with  a  full 
and  complete  organization;  therefore  each  claimed  to  be  the 
original  church. 
6 


42  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Of  the  original  members  who  had  participated  in  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  church  in  1828,  all  who  were  living  in  Canton  went 
into  the  New-School  party. 

The  old  church  had  perfected  dn  organization  on  the  27th  day 
of  April,  1836,  under  the  laws  of  the  state,  as  a  body  corporate, 
with  the  control  of  its  worldly  affairs  vested  in  a  board  of  five 
trustees.  These  trustees — being  the  first  board  elected  —  were 
Joel  Wright,  James  W.  Willis,  Nathan  Jones,  Oliver  Dewey,  and 
Samuel  G.  Wright.  Robert  Stewart  was  elected  pastor,  at  a 
salary  of  five  hundred  dollars  per  annum. 

The  board  of  trustees  for  1836  were  Joel  Wright,  Nathan 
Jones,  Peter  Westerfield,  Charles  Kirkpatrick,  and  Alexander  R. 
McPheters;  and  Robert  Stewart  was  again  elected  pastor. 

At  the  time  of  the  division  four  out  of  the  five  trustees  went 
with  the  New-School,  one  —  Mr.  McPheters — with  the  Old-School 
wing. 

On  the  9th  of  April,  1838,  a  subscription  paper  was  written  and 
circulated,  reading  as  follows : 

CANTON,  APRIL  OTH,  1838. 

WE,  the  undersigned,  wishing  to  relieve  the  Rev.  Robert 
Stewart  from  worldly  cares,  that  he  may  the  more  fully  devote 
his  time  to  the  duties  of  the  Gospel  ministry  in  connection  with 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Canton,  agree  that  we  will  pay, 
in  yearly  installments,  the  sums  fixed  to  our  respective  names,  to 
the  trustees  in  connection  with  the  above-named  church  and 
society. 

NAMES.  AMOUNTS. 

Charles  Kirkpatrick $20.00 

Nathan  Jones 50.00 

Daniel  W.  Vittum 20.00 

Isaac  P.  Taylor 12.00 

Franklin  P.  Offield 10.50 

B.  G.  Roe 9.50 

Lyman  Walker 15.00 

Mary  Ross 10.00 

Thomas  J.  Little 10.00 

Ezra  Fairchild 10.00 

Oliver  Dewey 10.00 

Carried  forward,    $177  00 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  43 

Brought  forward,     $177  00 

Timothy  Norris 5.00 

Orville  Jones 2.00 

John  Whitten 10.00 

Wells  Tyler 2.00 

William  Stevens 3.00 

L.  H.  Sovreign 2.00 

Jason  M.  Bass,  sen 10.00 

Samuel  Mallory 2.00 

Cheney  Jones 3.00 

Mariah  Ropes 1.00 

Joel  W.  Wright 20.00 

J.  W.  Newel 7.00 

L.  Bidamon 10.00 

Joel  Coykendall 15.00 

Elias  Peck '. 15.00 

Chester  Williams 15.00 

J.  G.  Patterson 6.00 

Benjamin  Chase 1.00 

Loring  Ames 6.00 

Truman  Jones 5.00 

Minor  Sherwood 10.00 

Wm.  Nichols  (paid) 10.00 

Total .$337.00 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  church  for  the  year  1838,  held  in 
April,  Isaac  P.  Taylor,  John  M.  Wright,  Franklin  P.  Offield  and 
Joel  Coykendall  were  elected  trustees.  These  trustees  were 
elected  in  the  spring  of  1838,  before  the  division,  and  all  of  them 
cast  their  lot  with  the  New-School  wing.  Both  wings  held  on  to 
the  "  Say  brook  Platform  "  as  their  rules  of  faith. 

On  the  llth  of  January,  1841,  C.  Kirkpatrick,  J.  R.  Walter, 
Joel  Wright,  Nathan  Jones,  Oliver  Dewey  and  John  Whitten 
were  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  a  plan  for  the  reorganization 
of  the  church.  On  the  27th  of  March  the  committee  reported  a 
"Plan  of  organization,  which  was  received,  read  and  amended." 
On  the  6th  of  April  a  blank  was  filled  in  the  proposed  constitu- 
tion with  the  name  of  the  "  New-School  Presbyterian  Church," 
and  the  constitution  so  amended  was  adopted.  Thus  came  into 
being  the  New-School  Presbyterian  Church,  three  full  years  after 
the  division. 


44  CANTON:   ITS  PIONEERS  AND   HISTORY. 

During  the  pendency  of  this  question  of  reorganization,  at  the 
meeting  held  on  the' 8th  of  March,  the  trustees,  by  vote,  were  "in- 
structed to  use  their  own  discretion  in  regard  to  the  property  now 
owned  by  the  two  Presbyterian  Churches  of  Canton."  And  at  the 
meeting  held  April  5th,  "  On  motion,  [it  was]  voted  that  the  papers 
relating  to  the  building  of  the  old  meeting-house  be  delivered  up 
to  the  trustees  of  the  Old-School  Presbyterian  Church,  and  that 
a  receipt  be  taken  for  the  same."  This  action  indicates  the  ami- 
cable arrangement  entered  into  between  the  two  organizations,  by 
which  the  property  of  the  old  First  Presbyterian  Church  was 
divided. 

At  the  meeting  of  April  6th,  a  motion  prevailed  that  "the  rules 
for  the  regulation  of  this  church  be  adopted,  with  the  addition  of 
the  following,  viz.,  that  the  pastor  shall  be  a  minister  in  good  and 
regular  standing  in  some  ecclesiastical  body  which  does  not  hold 
doctrines  contrary  to  the  6th  article  of  the  constitution  of  this 
church."  It  will  be  observed  that  under  this  rule  a  minister 
might  be  called  from  either  the  New-School  or  Congregational 
Church  to  the  pastoral  care  of  this  church.  This  rule  remained 
in  force  after  the  second  reorganization,  and  after  the  church  had 
become  Congregational;  and  it  is  a  fact  that,  from  the  time  Mr. 
Stewart  dissolved  his  connection  with  the  church  until  the  present 
minister,  Rev.  Henry  Bates,  took  the  pastoral  charge,  all  the 
ministers  were  New-School  Presbyterian,  while  the  church  was 
Congregational. 

Rev.  Robert  Stewart  dissolved  his  connection  with  the  church. 

The  church  remained  without  a  pastor  until  in  about  Septem- 
ber, 1841,  when  Rev.  L.  Spencer  was  engaged  to  supply  the  pul- 
pit until  the  following  April.  He  gave  so  good  satisfaction  during 
that  period  that  he  was  engaged  as  pastor,  and  installed  accord- 
ingly, some  time  in  April,  1842. 

On  the  29th  day  of  January,  1842,  "After  some  conversation, 
a  motion  was  made  and  carried  that  a  committee  be  appointed  to 
draft  a  constitution  for  organizing  a  Congregational  Church." 
On  the  4th  of  February,  1842,  this  committee,  at  a  regular  church 
meeting,  reported  a  constitution.  Their  report  was  adopted,  and 
the  compend  formerly  used  by  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of 
Canton  appended  to  the  new  constitution.  Thus  the  church  had 
within  four  years  been  Presbyterian,  New-School  Presbyterian, 
and  Congregational ;  yet  through  it  all  had  retained  precisely  the 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  45 

same  compendium  of  religious  faith.  The  change  was  only  in 
name  and  form  of  government,  and  not  in  religious  opinion.  The 
Articles  of  Faith  and  Covenant  were  the  same  as  adopted  by  the 
Schuyler  Presbytery  in  1837,  and  recommended  to  the  churches 
under  its  care. 

At  one  of  the  church  meetings  held  in  1841,  the  doctrine  of 
female  suffrage,  so  far  as  the  church  was  concerned,  received  an  in- 
dorsement by  the  passage  of  the  following  motion : 

"Resolved,  That  the  female  members  of  this  church  over  eighteen  years  of 
age  have  the  privilege  of  voting  at  the  meetings  of  this  church,  and  that 
there  is  equal  responsibility  resting  upon  them  in  regard  to  the  spiritual  in- 
terests of  the  church." 

At  the  meeting  held  April  6th,  1841,  it  was  decided  to  build  a 
meeting-house  as  soon  as  possible,  and  Nathan  Jones  and  Charles 
Kirkpatrick  were  appointed  a  committee  to  secure  subscriptions 
for  that  purpose. 

One  year  after  deciding  to  build  the  meeting-house,  viz.,  April 
4th,  1842,  the  trustees  reported  what  they  had  done  toward  the 
building  of  the  new  church.  The  house  was  up  and  inclosed, 
but  not  finished. 

In  the  winter  of  1842-'3,  there  was  some  feeling  in  the  church 
in  regard  to  statements  made  by  persons  outside  of  the  organiza- 
tion that  the  timber  for  the  new  church  had  been  obtained  on  a 
"  stump  quarter."  Previous  to  this  time  it  had  never  been  gen- 
erally looked  upon  as  sinful  to  obtain  timber  from  the  "  stump 
quarters  " :  every  body  had  done  so,  and  had  concocted  a  certain 
specious  mode  of  reasoning  by  which  they  had  justified  them- 
selves and  each  other.  There  had  been  several  churches  and 
school-houses  in  the  county  built  with  this  stolen  timber,  and  no 
one  had  objected;  but  now  the  county  was  filling  up  with  new 
settlers  from  the  older  states,  who  could  not  appreciate  the  soph- 
ism of  the  argument  that  every  stick  of  timber  cut  from  a  "  stump 
quarter"  added  to  its  value,  by  developing  the  country  and  fenc- 
ing and  improving  contiguous  lands. 

The  church  now  felt  called  upon  to  take  some  action  in  regard 
to  this  question.  Accordingly,  at  a  meeting  held  on  the  16th  of 
February,  1843,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted,  after  some 
discussion : 

"Resolved,  That  this  church  consider  the  practice  of  IwoTcing  timber  to  be 
a  sin,  and  if  persisted  in  should  subject  the  offender  to  church  discipliae. 


46  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

"Resolved,  That  the  practice  of  buying  stolen  timber  (knowing  it  to  be 
stolen)  is  encouraging  theft  and  participating  in  the  sin,  and  should  subject 
the  offender  to  the  same  censure." 

These  resolutions  had  a  good  effect.  It  is  true  that  the  old 
pioneers  of  the  congregation  would  never  consider  "  hooking  tim- 
ber" a  very  heinous  sin;  but  the  new-comers  and  younger  mem- 
bers were  so  far  influenced  by  it  that  they  were  not  likely  to  fall 
into  the  practice. 

Rev.  L.  Spencer,  who  had  been  called  to  the  pastoral  charge  in 
the  early  part  of  1842,  severed  his  connection  with  the  church  in 
the  spring  of  1844,  after  remaining  two  years.  Mr.  Spencer  was 
the  second  pastor  of  the  New-School — now  Congregational  — 
Church,  and  filled  the  office  very  acceptably. 

In  April,  1845,  the  trustees  of  the  church  were  instructed,  at 
the  annual  meeting,  to  "ascertain  the  cost  of  finishing  the  church 
in  a  good  and  substantial  manner";  that  they  obtain  subscrip- 
tions from  persons  outside  of  the  church,  and  assess  the  deficit 
among  the  members.  This  action  resulted  in  the  completion  of 
the  Congregational  Meeting-House  — the  trustees  reporting  on 
the  Cth  of  January,  1846,  that  the  church  was  now  finished,  at  a 
cost  of  about  $3000.  This  building  was  situated  on  the  south 
side  of  Elm  street,  west  of  the  Public  Square,  between  Main  and 
Wood  streets,  and  is  now  owned  and  occupied  by  the  Lutheran 
Church. 

The  church  had  been  without  a  regular  pastor  from  the  time  of 
Mr.  Spencer's  leaving  until  the  winter  of  1845 -'6  when  Rev. 
Williston  Jones,  a  son  of  Deacon  Nathan  Jones,  was  called  to 
the  pastoral  care.  Mr.  Jones  was  a  New- School  Presbyterian,  a 
man  of  fine  education,  and  an  earnest,  devoted  Christian.  He 
had  been  educated  expressly  for  the  ministry,  and  his  good 
old  father  had  been  looking  forward  for  years  to  see  his  only  son 
installed  as  pastor  of  his  own  church.  It  was  indeed,  then,  a 
gratification  to  him  to  see  "Williston  selected  as  pastor,  and  in  this 
gratification  the  church,  who  were  devotedly  attached  to  the  dea- 
con, participated. 

In  1848,  January  1st,  the  following-named  persons  were  dis- 
missed from  the  church,  for  the  purpose  of  being  organized  into 
a  church  at  Independence,  in  Putman  township,  viz.,  Deacon 
Samuel  Mallory  and  wife,  Wm.  Nichols  and  wife,  Mrs.  Mary 
Bagley,  Miss  Eveline  Bagley,  and  Mrs.  Esther  Nichols. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  47 

RESOLUTIONS  ON  SLAVERY. 

.  In  1848,  the  question  of  Slavery,  which  had  so  long  been  agi- 
tating the  country,  received  a  formal  recognition  from  the  Con- 
gregational Society  of  Canton.  At  the  annual  meeting,  held 
April  4th,  the  following  resolutions  were  adopted,  nearly  all  of 
them  by  a  unanimous  vote: 

1.  That  slavery,  the  holding  and  using  of  men  as  property,  is  a  palpable*  and 
gross  violation  of  the  moral  law  and  Golden  Rule,  and  as  such  is  wrong — is 
Sin;  and  is  one  of  the  greatest  curses  that  can  befall  any  people. 

2.  That  we  deplore  its  existence  in  our  beloved  country ;   and  hold  it  to 
be  the  bounden  duty  of  this  people,  since  wrong  should  be  rectified,  to  do 
away  with  slavery  from  our  country,  at  the  earliest  practical  period:  our 
duty  to  the  enslaved  and  our  duty  to  ourselves  as  a  Nation  imperiously  de- 
mands it. 

3.  That  while  the  guilt  of  slavery  must  rest  chiefly  on  those  states  that  up- 
hold it,  and  on  those  individuals  who  practice  it ;  yet  slavery  is  also  a  national 
sin,  being  tolerated  and  protected  by  our  national  compact ;  and,  as  such,  the 
guilt  of  it  rests  upon  the  nation,  and  upon  all  the  component  elements  of  the 
nation :  upon  all  the  states,  and  upon  every  individual  of  them  all :  unless 
they  do  all  they  can  to  remove  it. 

4.  That  we  as  individuals,  and  as  a  community,  being  a  part  of  these  United 
States,  a  portion  of  that  guilt  rests  upon  us  in  common  with  others,  unless  we 
free  our  skirts.    With  that  endeavor,  and  in  utter  detestation  of  slavery  itself, 
we  do  most  solemnly  and  earnestly  protest  against  it,  as  wrong — as  sin  against 
God,  and  deserving  his  just  displeasure. 

5.  That  we  sincerely  sympathize  with  those  living  in  slave  states,  and 
owning  slaves,  who,  when  they  would  free  themselves  from  the  sin  of  slave- 
ry, find  a  pressure  of  circumstances  surrounding  them  which  well-nigh  ab- 
solutely forbids  their  freeing  their  slaves  in  any  practicable  way. 

6.  That  our  National   Constitution  gives  to  the  several  states  in  which 
slavery  exists  the  exclusive  legal  right  to  regulate  their  internal  affairs;  and 
the  abolition  of  slavery  must  therefore  be  the  act  of  the  several  states  in 
which  slavery  exists;  and,  of  course,  we  in  ihefree  states  can  not  interfere 
with  it,  in  any  other  way  than  by  withdraicing,  as  far  as  may  be,  the  nation- 
al protection  and  sanction,  and  by  the  moral  power  of  truth  —  by  speaking 
out  our  views  in  regard  to  its  enormity,  and  bearing  our  testimony  against  it. 

7.  That  the  law  of  love  and  the  Golden  Rule  make  it  our  bounden  duty  to 
warn  our  brother  of  his  sins,  and  that  neglect  to  do  so  would  make  us  par- 
takers of  his  guilt ;  and  hence  we  can  not  be  silent  without  incurring  guilt 
ourselves,  and  must  utter  our  testimony,  as  we  now  do,  against  this  great 
national  and  individual  sin. 

These  resolutions  were  expressive  of  the  opinions  of  a  large 
majority  of  the  communicants  of  the  church,  although  a  few  were 
displeased  with  them,  but  did  not  openly  protest. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


In  the  winter  of  1848 -'9,  Rev.  Williston  Jones,  after  having 
been  pastor  two  years,  resigned  the  pastoral  charge.  Mr.  Jones 
was  the  third  pastor  of  the  church,  and  left  with  the  friendship 
of  his  congregation.  He  was  by  no  means  an  eloquent  man,  but 
was  sincere,  and  won  the  respect  of  all  by  his  upright  life. 

Immediately  after  Mr.  Jones's  resignation,  a  proposition  was 
received  from  the  Old-School  Presbyterian  Session  that, 

"WHEREAS,  The  asperities  of  former  times  between  the  Presbyterian 
Church  in  Canton  and  what  is  known  as  the  Congregational  Church  are  at 

the  present  time  greatly  abated ; and  ichereas,  under  circuin  - 

stances  like  these,  the  great  cause  of  truth  and  godliness  might  be  better 
subserve  by  the  united  cooperation  and  influence  of  both  societies ;  .  .  . 

"Resolved,  by  the  Session  of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  that  this  body  will 
hold  itself  in  readiness  to  confer  with  a  committee  of  deacons  or  members 
appointed  by  the  Congregational  Church,  respecting  the  propriety  and  prac- 
ticability of  a  union  of  the  two  churches." 

This  resolution,  evidently  prompted  by  a  Christian  spirit,  re- 
sulted in  the  appointment  of  a  committee  to  confer  Avith  a  like 
committee  from  the  Presbyterian  Church.  This  committee  con- 
sisted of  Deacon  John  M.  Wright,  John  W.  Ingersoll,  and  Dea- 
con Charles  Kirkpatrick.  This  committee  appear  never  to  have 
made  a  report:  at  least,  the  church  records  show  110  further  men- 
tion of  the  subject. 

The  church  being  without  a  pastor,  Rev.  Mr.  Hubbard  was  in- 
vited to  labor  with  the  church  for  a  time,  and  did  so  for  a  short 
period. 

On  the  21st  of  July,  1849,  the  church  formed  a  short  time  be- 
fore at  Independence  presented  itself  in  a  body  and  was  merged 
into  the  Canton  church,  from  which  it  had  been  formed. 

On  the  19th  of  January,  1850,  the  church  extended  a  unani- 
mous call  to  Rev.  E.  Marsh,  a  New-School  Presbyterian  minister, 
to  the  pastoral  charge.  Rev.  Edward  Marsh  was  thus  made  the 
fourth  pastor  of  the  Congregational  Church.  He  was  a  gentle- 
man of  culture,  kind  and  genial  in  his  character,  and  a  fail- 
speaker.  He  filled  the  office  very  acceptably  to  the  church  and 
congregation,  until  in  August,  1865  —  a  period  of  fifteen  years. 
During  his  administration  the  church  continued  to  increase  in 
numbers  and  influence.  He  left  Canton  with  the  general  good- 
will of  the  community,  as  well  as  of  the  membership  of  his  church 
and  congregation. 


CANTON:   ITS  PIONEERS  AND   HISTORY.  49 

On  the  2d  of  January,  1866,  the  committee  on  ministerial  sup- 
ply announced  that  they  had  secured  the  services  of  Rev.  Henry 
Mills  for  an  indefinite  period.  Mr.  Mills,  however,  declined  to 
take  the  pastorate,  but  consented  to  remain  until  the  new  church 
could  be  finished.  Mr.  Mills  was  a  gentleman  of  more  than 
average  ability,  an  eloquent  pulpit  orator,  and  it  is  to  be  regretted 
that  he  was  not  willing  to  remain  in  charge  of  the  church. 

During  Mr.  Mills's  stay,  the  present  Congregational  house  of 
worship  was  completed,  at  a  cost  of  $18,000.  It  is  not  exaggera- 
tion to  say  that  to  Mr.  Mills  is  due  very  much  of  the  credit  for 
the  early  and  successful  completion  of  the  church  edifice.  It  is 
situated  on  the  east  side  of  Fourth  street,  between  Union  and 
Illinois  streets,  and  in  point  of  architecture  is  not  surpassed  by 
any  church  edifice  in  the  city.  It  was  dedicated  to  the  service 
of  Almighty  God  on  Tuesday,  the  15th  day  of  January  —  Rev. 
Edward  Beecher,  of  Galesburg,  a  brother  of  Henry  Ward 
Beecher,  delivering  the  Dedicatory  Sermon. 

Rev.  Edward  Bates,  the  present  pastor  of  the  church  and  its 
first  Congregational  pastor,  was  called  to  and  accepted  the  posi- 
tion of  pulpit  supply  with  the  pastorate  in  view,  on  the  first  Sab- 
bath in  January,  1867,  at  a  permanent  salary  of  $1,250  per  an- 
num. Mr.  Bates  was  from  Grass  Lake,  Michigan.  He  is  a  plain, 
unostentatious  man,  a  fair  pulpit  orator,  a  gentleman  of  culture, 
deep,  earnest  piety,  and  eminently  adapted  to  the  discharge  of  the 
delicate  duties  of  the  pastoral  office.  He  has  continued  from  the 
first  to  grow  into  the  affections  of  his  congregation,  until  he  is  now 
endeared  to  them  as  a  pastor,  a  friend,  and  a  counselor,  to  an  ex- 
tent that  secures  for  him  great  opportunities  for  usefulness.  Mr. 
Bates  was,  by  vote  of  the  church,  on  the  15th  of  August,  1867, 
elected  and  installed  pastor. 

This  church  has  been  blessed,  from  its  organization,  with  a  con- 
tinued prosperity.  Constant  accessions  have  been  made  to  its 
membership,  until  at  present  it  is  one  of  the  leading  church  or- 
ganizations in  the  city.  The  present  membership  is  130  resident 
and  a  large  list  of  non-resident  members. 


50  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


JOSHUA  TOWNSHIP. 

TUB  first  settler  in  Joshua  township  was  Joshua  Moores,  who 
immigrated  to  Sangamon  county,  Illinois,  in  1819,  and  to  Fulton 
county  in  1824.  Mr.  Moores  settled  on  the  place  well  known  as 
the  Moores  farm,  west  of  Canton  five  miles.  Mr.  Moores  was  ac- 
companied by  his  son-in-law  John  "Walters,  who  was  killed  at 
Stillman's  defeat  in  1832.  Mr.  Moores  was  a  Methodist,  and  at 
his  house  were  held  many  of  the  earliest  Methodist  meetings. 
Here,  surrounded  by  a  few  of  the  pioneers,  David  W.  Barnes,  the 
Sergeants,  the  Buffums,  John  Hannan  and  his  family,  old  Father 
Fraker,  John  Owens,  Jacob  Ellis,  and  a  few  others,  Rev.  —  —  Ran- 
dall, Smith  L.  Robinson  (the  one-eyed  preacher)  and  Peter  Cart- 
wright  would  preach  sermons  full  of  primitive  fire  and  religious 
zeal.  At  his  house  were  held  the  class-meetings  and  love-feasts, 
and  here  were  held  the  merry-makings  wherein  those  present  had 
rarer  sport  than  is  known  to  the  silk  and  velvet  gentry  of  the 
present  fast  age. 

Joshua  Moores  gave  his  name  to  the  township  in  which  he  re- 
sided, and  died  in  1853. 

John  Walters  left  a  widow  and  four  children,  who  still  survive 
him.  Jennie  Walters  will  be  remembered  by  all  the  old  settlers 
as  a  devoted  Methodist,  a  warm-hearted,  impulsive  woman,  a 
strong  Democrat,  and  a  good  neighbor.  The  author  desires 
'here  to  express  his  obligation  to  her  for  valuable  information  fur- 
nished for  this  work.  Mrs.  Walters  now  resides  in  Rushville, 
Illinois. 


THE   PUBLIC  SQUARE. 

THE  Public  Square  formed  a  portion  of  Nathan  Jones's  First 
Addition  to  the  Town  of  Canton.  It  was  proposed  originally  to 
give  to  the  public  for  a  public  square  one  whole  block,  extending 
from  Main  to  Prairie  street  east  and  west,  and  from  Union  to  Elm 
street  north  and  south.  This  proposition,however,  from  some  un- 
known cause,  Avas  not  carried  into  effect,  and  when  the  survey 
was  made  the  Public  Square  was  limited  to  one-half  its  present 
area,  extending  from  Union  street  south  to  the  alley  which  divides 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  51 

the  block.  The  two  lots  south  of  the  alley  were  given  as  a  dona- 
tion to  the  Presbyterian  house  of  worship  which  was  erected  up- 
on one  of  them.  It  was  not  until  in  about  1841,  after  the  removal 
of  the  church  from  the  Public  Square,  that  Deacon  Jones  —  who 
had  not  previously  deeded  the  lots,  although  intending  so  to  do, — 
by  an  arrangement  between  the  two  branches  of  the  Presbyterian 
Church  after  the  separation,  deeded  the  lots  in  question,  thereby 
making  the  square  its  present  size.  The  deed  to  these  lots  was 
not  immediately  put  upon  the  records,  and  as  a  result  of  this  neg- 
lect they  were  assessed  and  sold  for  taxes,  and  purchased  by 
Ahira  Saunders.  Mr.  Saunders  undertook,  in  about  1842,  to  ob- 
tain possession,  but  was  met  by  the  deacon's  deed  to  the  public, 
and,  as  public  property  was  not  taxable,  his  speculation  failed. 

Prior  to  1830  the  business  of  the  town,  as  well  as  most  of  the 
residences,  were  on  "Wood  street;  and  in  that  year,  when  Joel 
Wright  and  Childs  &  Stillman  commenced  business,  they  located 
their  stores  on  that  street.  In  about  1830  the  first  building  was 
erected  on  the  Square :  it  was  a  log  house,  built  by  Richard 
Stevens,  a  brother-in-law  of  Isaac  Swan,  and  was  about  where 
Mansfield's  brick  store-house  now  stands,  on  the  south  side. 

In  1832  Joseph  Anderson  built  a  cabin  on  the  lot  now  occupied 
by  Ingersoll's  store  on  the  west  side.  Mr.  Anderson  moved  into 
this  house  to  be  near  the  Fort  at  Esquire  Wright's,  during  the 
Black-Hawk  War. 

In  1833  Louis  Bidamon  erected  the  first  frame  house  on  the 
Square.  This  house  was  a  very  low  one-story  house,  long  and 
narrow,  and  stood  about  where  the  house  of  Mrs.  Graham  now 
stands  on  the  east  side. 

In  1834  Messrs.  Tryon  &  McCutcheon  built  and  occupied  the 
first  store-house  on  the  Square.  This  was  a  frame  building,  and 
a  part  of  it  is  still  standing,  on  the  west  side,  near  the  original 
location,  and  is  occupied  by  Chauncey  Webster  as  a  grocery 
store.  Messrs.  Tryon  &  McCutcheon  sold  out,  a  few  years  later, 
to  Messrs.  Markley  &  Solomon.  The  property  afterward  passed 
into  the  hands  of  Dr.  J.  R.  Walter,  who  remodeled  it  and  occu- 
pied it  as  a  residence  for  many  years. 

Messrs.  Tryon  &  McCutcheon  sold  out  to  Messrs.  Markley  & 
Solomon  in  May,  1$3G.  The  Mr.  Solomon  of  this  firm  was  the 
well-known — to  old  settlers  —  Joel  Solomon,  for  many  years  cir- 
cuit clerk  of  the  county.  Pie  now  resides  in  Mills  county,  Iowa. 


52  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Judge  David  Markley  was  the  senior  partner.  In  November, 
1836,  Mr.  Markley  purchased  Mr.  Solomon's  interest  in  this  store, 
and  became  sole  proprietor,  continuing  in  business  until  1839. 

Mr.  Markley  was  a  man  eminently  fitted  for  pioneer  life.  A 
large,  powerful  man,  a  wit,  and  at  the  same  time  a  man  of  sound 
judgment,  he  soon  became  prominent  among  the  pioneers. 
He  had  filled  the  offices  of  county  judge  in  Champaign  county, 
Ohio,  and  of  colonel  of  a  regiment  in  the  War  of  1812,  previous 
to  his  emigration,  and  was  very  soon  after  his  immigration  identi- 
fied with  the  public  interests  of  the  people  with  whom  he  had 
cast  his  lot.  In  1838,  two  years  after  his  settlement  in  the  county, 
he  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy  in  the  State  Senate,  caused  by  the 
resignation  of  Judge  Hackleton,'and  was  twice  reolected,  making 
his  term  of  service  ten  full  years.  In  1847  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Convention  to  form  a  new  Constitution  for  the  State 
of  Illinois,  and  was  one  of  its  most  influential  members.  About 
the  same  time  Governor  Ford  appointed  him  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Canal  Commissioners.  While  acting  in  this  capacity, 
he  selected  the  lands  granted  by  the  United  States  Government 
to  the  state  in  aid  of  this  enterprise.  In  1844  Judge  Markley  re- 
moved from  Canton  to  Banner  township,  near  Monterey,  where 
he  remained  until  1856,  when  he  again  removed  to  Nebraska; 
but,  not  satisfied  with  that  territory,  he  soon  returned,  and  settled 
in  Stark  county,  near  Rochester  in  Peoria  county.  He  still  re- 
sides in  the  same  neighborhood,  although  at  present  in  Peoria 
county.  Mr.  Markley  now,  at  80  years,  still  preserves  his  mental 
vigor. 

In  about  1836  Messrs.  Brooks  &  Cogswell  opened  a,store  on 
the  Public  Square,  in  a  long  frame  building  which  stood  on  the 
east  half  of  the  lot  now  occupied  by  Bell's  block.  They  con- 
tinued in  business  until  about  1839. 

In  the  fall  of  1835  Jno.  C.  Willis  erected  a  frame  building  for 
hotel  purposes  on  the  Public  Square,  on  the  lot  immediately  south 
of  the  lot  now  occupied  by  the  Graham  building,  on  the  west  side. 
This  hotel  was  rented  to  a  Mr.  Williamson  and  David  Russell, 
who  run  it  a  short  time  and  then  gave  place  to  Frederick 
Mennert,  who,  in  his  turn,  was  succeeded  by  Hugh  R.  Smith. 
Mr.  Smith's  successor  was  David  Collins.  Ih  about  1841  Thos. 
Wills  took  the  house,  and  remained  its  proprietor  until  about 
1853  or  '4. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  53 

In  1836  Messrs.  Steel  &  Ballard  occupied  one  of  the  ground- 
floor  rooms  of  this  house  as  a  store-room.  Mr.  Steel  was  the  son- 
in-law  of  Ossian  M.  Ross.  He  came  in  1836,  and  remained  a 
resident  of  Canton  until  his  death,  which  occurred  very  suddenly 
in  18 — .  His  widow,  a  very  estimable  lady,  still  resides  in  the 
city. 

In  1836  Messrs.  Shinn  &  Vittum  erected  a  store-house  on  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  Public  Square,  as  a  business  house.  This 
store  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Shinn  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

The  first  brick  store-room  on  the  Public  Square  was  erected  by 
Mr.  John  Blackadore,  in  1845.  It  was  on  the  south  side,  on  the 
lot  he  now  occupies.  This  was  an  old-fashioned  brick,  two  stories 
high,  and  was  burned  in  1865. 

In  1848  Mr.  S.  Smith  built  the  second  brick  on  the  Square,  on 
the  lot  east  of  Mr.  Blackadore's  building.  This  building  was 
afterward  purchased  by  the  Messrs.  Babcock,  and  was  known  as 
the  "Regulator."  It  was  burned  in  1865,  in  the  same  fire  that 
destroyed  Mr.  Blackadore's  building. 

_•'  The  same  season,  T.  Maple  erected  the  first  three-story  brick 
block  in  the  city,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  the  Public  Square. 
It  is  the  building  now  known  as  Odd-Fellows'  Block.  In  this 
building  were  the  first  box  window-frames  ever  put  into  a  build- 
ing in  Canton.  The  fall  of  the  same  season  Mr.  Jno.  G.  Graham 
and  A.  II.  White  each  erected  three-story  business  houses  — 
White  the  building  now  occupied  by  D.  A.  Bell,  and  Graham 
that  occupied  by  Mr.  Gleason.  Mr.  White  disposed  of  his  build- 
ing by  lottery  in  1856. 

In  1838  a  Mr.  Squires  built  a  house  on  the  northeast  corner  of 
the  Square,  and  established  a  grocery-store.  This  establishment 
did  not  run  long  before  Squires  sold  out  to  Jones  &  Weeks,  who 
turned  it  into  a  dry-goods  store.  Jones  was  either  a  Spaniard  01? 
Portuguese,  and,  from  his  complexion,  was  known  as  "Black 
Jones."  He  spoke  several  foreign  languages,  and  was  quite  a 
shrewd  man,  but  not  suspected  of  honesty  to  any  great  extent. 


54  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

THE  Baptist  Society  now  worshiping  at  Canton  was  organized 
at  the  house  of  Wm.  Spencer,  in  Banner  township,  about  three 
miles  east  of  Canton,  and  recognized  as  a  regular  Baptist  church 
by  a  council  that  convened  at  the  residence  of  Father  Spencer  on 
the  14th  day  of  June,  A.D.  1833.  The  council  proceedings  a^e 
signed  by  Elder  John  Logan,  President,  and  Elder  Ga'rdner 
Bartlett. 

The  names  of  the  constituent  members  of  this  society,  as  ap- 
pended to  their  articles  of  organization,  were  Elder  John  Clark, 
Anna  Clark,  B^etsey  Breed,  Roxanna  West,  Wm.  Spencer, 
Rachel  Spencer,  Nathan  West.  The  name  adopted  by  the  so- 
ciety was,  "The  United  Baptist  Church  of  Deer  Creek." 

The  first  regular  church-meeting  after  the  organization  was 
held  at  the  residence  of  Father  Spencer,  on  the  13th  of  July, 
1833.  Elder  John  Clark  was  chosen  moderator  pro  tern.  Ozias 
Hale  was  received  into  fellowship  by  letter,  and  presented  a 
license  as  a  regular  ordained  preacher  of  the  Gospel,  and  the 
church  ordered  that  he  be  licensed  to  preach  by  this  church. 

On  the  26th  of  October  the  church  appointed  Brother  John 
Clark  to  bear-a  letter  to  Schuyler  county  to  meet  a  convention  to 
form  an  association.  In  the  same  year  Ira  Mills  —  afterward 
known  as  the  Hermit  of  Utica  Hill — was  received  into  the 
"  watch-care  of  the  church." 

January  25th,  1824,  the  church  met  for  business  at  the  residence 
of  Father  Spencer,  and  gave  a  license  to  Nathan  West  to  preach. 

On  the  26th  of  July  Rev.  Ira  Mills  withdrew  from  the  watch- 
care  of  the  church,  and  at  the  same  meeting  messengers  and  a  letter 
were  sent  by  the  church  to  Salem  Association,  with  power  to  at- 
tach the  church  to  that  association.  Ozias  Hale  and  Nathan  West 
were  the  messengers. 

On  the  27th  of  September  Nathan  West  was  ordained  as  an 
Elder  in  the  Baptist  Church,  and  was  the  first  minister  ordained 
by  this  church.  The  ordination  sermon  was  preached  by  Elder 
Jacob  Bowers,  the  ordaining  prayer,  offered  by  Elder  G.  Bartlett, 
the  charge  given  by  Elder  John  Logan,  the  right  hand  of  fellow- 
ship by  Elder  John  Clark,  and  the  concluding  prayer  offered  by 
Rev.  Ozias  Hale. 


CANTON:  rrs  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  55 

The  first  person  received  into  the  church  by  baptism  was  Mrs. 
Eunice  Hale,  who  was  baptized  on  Sabbath,  March  2d,  1835. 

The  meetings  of  the  church  continued  to  be  held  at  Father 
Spencer's  until  it  was  resolved  to  change  the  place  of  meeting  to 
Canton;  and  the  church-meeting  convened  on  the  last  Saturday 
in  December  of  that  year  at  the  residence  of  Nathan  West  in 
Canton.  At  this  time,  while  the  church  numbered  in  its  mem- 
bership Rev.  John  Clark,  Rev.  N.  West,  and  Rev.  O.  Hale,  it  was 
still  without  a  pastor;  and  therefore,  on  the  9th  of  April,  1837, 
Elders  Clark,  Logan  and  Miner  were  invited  to  preach  for  the 
society  as  often  as  convenient. 

The  membership  at  this  time  amounted  to  only  17  persons. 
The  church  was  at  this  time  connected  with  the  Salem  Associa- 
tion, and  in  July  of  that  year  (1837)  voted  to  assume  the  name 
of  the  "Regular  Baptist  Church  of  Canton."  In  September  of 
the  same  year  the  church  removed  its  connection  from  the  Salem 
Association  to  the  Illinois-River  Association,  which  convened  in 
Peoria.  During  the  latter  part  of  1837  and  a  portion  of  1838  the 
meetings  of  the  church  were  held  in  the  Methodist  Chapel  in 
Canton,  which  had  extended  to  them  that  courtesy. 

Early  in  1838  Rev.  Gideon  B.  Perry,  LL.D.,  removed  to  Can- 
ton from  Hopkinton,  Rhode  Island,  and  assumed  the  pastoral  care 
of  the  church,  being  its  first  regular  pastor.  The  acquisition  of 
Dr.  Perry  infused  new  vitality  into  the  feeble  and  struggling 
church.  He  was  a  man  of  superior  education,  a  finished  orator, 
and  a  man  of  more  than  ordinary  enterprise.  He  became  at  once 
a  leader  in  religious  and  educational  matters  in  Canton.  He  was 
also  a  physician,  and  eked  out  the  scanty  support  the  feeble 
church,  aided  by  the  Baptist  Home-Mission  Society,  could  give 
him  by  the  practice  of  medicine  and  by  his  salary  as  President 
of  Canton  College.  At  the  first  meeting  presided  over  by  Dr. 
Perry,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  superintend  the  location 
and  plan  of  a  house  of  worship.  This  committee  consisted  of 
Isaac  C.  Johnson,  Samuel  Hannan,  and  Thompson  Maple.  This 
committee  reported,  and  a  building  committee  was  appointed, 
consisting  of  Wm.  M.  Spencer,  Isaac  C.  Johnson,  and  Thompson 
Maple,  on  the  23d  of  June,  1838. 

The  first  organization  of  the  church  as  a  body-corporate  under 
the  laws  of  the  state  was  consummated  on  the  16th  of  July,  1839; 
and  the  first  board  of  trustees  were  Win.  M.  Spencer,  Isaac  C. 
Johnson,  and  Thompson  Maple. 


56  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


first  deacons  elected  by  the  church  were  Jonas  P.  Cutler 
and  John  G.  Piper,  who  were  ordained  on  the  25th  of  August, 
1839.  Deacon  John  G.  Piper  is  still  a  deacon  of  this  church, 
having  served  about  thirty-one  years,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  the 
term  of  his  service  will  still  be  extended  for  very  many  years. 

The  new  meeting-house  was  finished  and  dedicated  on  Sab- 
bath, October  26th,  1839.  This  housp  was  situated  on  Fifth 
street,  between  Elm  and  Main  streets,  just  north  of  the  present 
Baptist  Church.  At  this  time  the  church  numbered  38  members, 
and  was  considered  to  be  in  a  very  flourishing  condition.  Under 
Dr.  Perry's  charge  the  church  had  prospered.  He  was  now,  how- 
ever, to  dissolve  his  connection  with  the  church,  having  received 
a  call  from  the  Baptist  Church  of  Alton,  Illinois,  to  become  their 
pastor.  Accordingly,  on  the  4th  of  October,  1841,  he  resigned 
his  pastoral  charge,  and  Rev.  Isaac  D.  Newell  was  elected  his 
successor.  Mr.  Newell's  salary  was  fixed  at  $500  per  annum. 
Under  Mr.  Newell's  administration  the  church  continued  to  pros- 
per. When  he  took  charge  the  membership  had  increased  to  113, 
and  during  the  first  year  of  his  ministry  it  increased  to  131,  and 
had  the  pleasure  of  sending  two  of  its  young  members  —  Charles 
West  and  G.  S.  Green,  —  as  students  for  the  ministry,  to  Shurtleif 
College;  and  soon  after  three  more,  viz.,  John  M.  Spencer,  F. 
O.  Campbell,  and  William  M.  Freeman,  were  licensed  to  preach, 
and  all  were  recommended  to  the  Baptist  Educational  Society  for 
an  education  at  Shurtleff,  preparatory  to  the  ministry. 

Mr.  Newell  remained  with  the  church  until  in  November,  1843, 
when  he  closed  his  connection  with  the  church  as  pastor.  The 
membership  had  now  increased  to  145  communicants,  and  had  be- 
gun to  take  the  first  rank  in  numercial  strength  among  the 
churches  of  Canton.  Mr.  Newell  had  labored  successfully,  and 
was  parted  with  regretfully  by  the  larger  part  of  his  congrega- 
tion. 

From  the  time  of  Mr.  Newell's  resignation  until  in  June,  1844, 
when  Elder  Alva  Gross  was  elected  pastor,  the  church  was  with- 
out a  pastor.  Mr.  Gross  on  that  date  assumed  the  pastoral 
charge,  in  response  to  a  unanimous"  call  of  the  society.  He  was 
a  genial,  warm-hearted  man,  a  fair  pulpit  orator,  and  an  excellent 
pastor.  He  is  still  remembered  by  the  old  citizens  of  Canton  for 
his  wit  and  geniality,  as  well  as  for  his  virtues. 

On  the   18th  of  May,   1845,  the  church  granted  license  to 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  57 

Win.  W.  Freeman,  who  had  graduated  at  Shurtleff  College,  to 
preach. 

At  the  church-meeting  held  January  3d,  1846,  the  subject  of 
"hooking  timber"  was  taken  up  and  discussed  at  length,  and  the 
following  preamble  and  resolution  upon  the  subject  were  adopted: 

WHEREAS,  The  practice  of  taking  timber  from  non-resident  lands  lias 
hitherto  been  practiced  to  an  alarming  extent,  and  as  many  of  the  professed 
followers  of  Christ  have  been  engaged  in  the  business,  much  to  the  grief 
and  loss  of  others,  and  believing  it  to  be  incompatible  with  the  true  princi- 
ples of  Christianity  and  demoralizing  in  its  tendency ;  therefore, 

Resolved,  That  we  will  discountenance  the  practice  in  others,  and  advise 
our  brethren  to  desist  from  it. 

"  Hooking  timber "  from  the  "  stump  quarters "  was  thus  dis- 
couraged ;  but  then  most  of  the  non-resident  land  had  been 
stripped.  There  being  no  more  timber  to  hook,  it  was  time  to  stop 
the  practice.  , 

On  the  7th  of  June,  1846,  Elder  Gross  terminated  his  connec- 
tion with  the  church  as  pastor,  from  which  time  until  the  19th  of 
June,  1847,  the  church'was  again  without  a  pastor.  At  that  time 
Elder  Erastus  Miner  was  called  to  the  pastorate. 

Elder  Miner,  in  December,  1846,  called  upon  Elder  Morgan 
Edwards  —  The  Sailor  Preacher — to  assist  him  in  a  series  of  meet- 
ings, which  were  the  first  of  the  series  of  remarkable  revivals 
with  which  the  Baptist  Church  of  Canton  has  been  blessed.  Over 
sixty  persons  were  added  to  the  Baptist  Church,  and  many  who 
had  grown  lukewarm  renewed  their  zeal.  The  candidates  for 
baptism  were  baptized  in  Big  Creek.  The  stream  being  frozen, 
the  ice  was  cut,  and  immense  concourses  of  people  witnessed  the 
solemn  ceremony. 

Elder  Erastus  Miner  only  remained  with  the  church  one  year, 
when  Elder  Simon  G.  Miner,  on  the  19th  of  August,  1848,  was 
elected  pastor  by  a  unanimous  vote.  Elder  Miner  found  his 
church  with  a  membership  of  190  and  in  a  prosperous  condition, 
he  labored  zealously  to  keep  up  the  prosperity  of  the  church,  and 
with_a  success  for  many  years  remarkable  and  unabated. 

On  the  5th  of  January,  1850,  it  was,  at  u  regular  business  meet- 
ing of  the  church, 

Resolved,  That  Elder  Newton,  Bro.  Matthew  J.  Scott,  George  Efnor,  Sis- 
ters Mary  Ann  Scott,  and  Susan  Putnam,  be  and  are  hereby  set  off  and  con- 
stituted into  a  branch  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Canton,  Illinois,  at 
Ellisville,  with  power  to  administer  the  ordinances  and  report  quarterly  at 
Canton. 


58  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

About  the  1st  of  November,  1850,  Elder  Jacob  Knapp,  the  cele- 
brated evangelist  and  revivalist,  began  his  first  protracted  meet- 
ing here,  in  the  old  Baptist  Church.  This  revival  was  one  of 
the  most  powerful  and  extensive,  perhaps,  ever  known  in  a  village 
of  less  than  two  thousand  population.  Soon  after  the  meeting 
began,  it  became  apparent  that  the  house  was  much  too 
small  to  accommodate  the  immense  concourse  of  people  that 
nightly  assembled  to  listen  to  the  eloquent  and  powerful  minis- 
ter. One  evening,  at  the  close  of  the  services,  Thompson  Maple 
announced  that  on  the  next  night  the  church  would  be  large 
enough  to  accommodate  all  who  might  come.  The  apparent  im- 
possibility of  the  fulfillment  of  this  promise  attracted  an  increased 
crowd  the  next  night,  and  lo !  there  was  room.  The  male  mem- 
bers had  assembled  at  dawn,  torn  off"  a  part  of  the  weather- 
boarding  and  plastering  from  the  south  side  of  the  building,  and 
erected  an  immense  tabernacle  of  boards  on  the  south  side, 
seated  it  and  put  in  stoves,  all  in  one  day.  That  night  every 
body-slip  in  the  old  church  was  full  of  mourners,  and  for  several 
days — even  weeks  —  there  was  no  abatement  in  the  interest.  All 
the  churches  in  town  received  considerable  accessions  to  their 
numbers  from  those  converted  at  this  meeting,  while  to  the  Bap- 
tist Church  were  added,  including  a  few  backsliders  restored, 
two-hundred  and  thirty-one  persons. 

The  effect  of  this  revival  on  the  temporal  prosperity  of  the 
church  was  such  as  to  lead  to  the  erection  of  the  present  Baptist 
Church,  the  corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  on  the  30th  day  of 
April,  1850,  with  appropriate  ceremonies.  In  the  corner-stone 
was  deposited  a  document  giving  the  date  of  the  organization  of 
the  church,  of  its  removal  from  Duck  Creek  to  Canton,  its  mem- 
bership for  each  year  of  its  organization  up  to  that  date,  and  the 
names  of  pastors;  also,  the  names  of  the  President  of  the  United 
States  then  in  office — Millard  Fillmore,  Governor  of  the  State  of 
Illinois — Augustus  C.  French,  President  of  the  Town- Corporate  of 
Canton — John  TV.  Shinn,  and  a  statement  that  the  population 
of  Canton  at  that  date  was  "1,853  souls."  The  membership  of 
the  church  for  that  year  was  stated  at  four  hundred  and  fifty -three 
(453). 

Of  course,  after  this  revival,  there  was  a  falling-off  of  such  as 
had  joined  without  sufficient  evidence  of  conversion,  but  the  fall- 
iiig-off  was  not  nearly  so  great  as  might  have  been  anticipated, 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  59 

and  was  very  nearly  balanced  by  the  additions  made  from  time 
to  time. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1852,  the  first  service  was  held  in  the 
new  church  —  Elder  Jacob  Knapp  preaching  in  the  lecture-room 
to  a  large  congregation. 

On  the  20th  of  February,  1853,  the  new  church  was  dedicated 
—  the  dedicatory  sermon  being  preached  by  Elder  H.  G.  Weston. 
A  protracted  meeting  was  begun,  wherein  the  pastor,  S.  G.  Miner, 
was  assisted  by  Elder  Henry  G.  "Weston,  then  of  Peoria,  now 
President  of  Crozer  Theological  Seminary,  near  Philadelphia, 
during  which  fifty-three  accessions  were  made  to  the  church  and 
the  old  members  revived  and  strengthened  greatly. 

In  December,  1853,  Elder  Morgan  Edwards  was  again  called  to 
Elder  Miner's  aid  during  a  series  of  revival  meetings  continuing 
six  weeks,  during  which  seventy-nine  persons  were  admitted  to 
church  fellowship. 

On  the  22d  of  February  a  council  was  convened  with  the  church 
for  the  ordination  to  the  ministry  of  Richard  S.  Johnson,  a  mem- 
ber of  this  church. 

During  the  latter  portion  of  February,  1854,  Elder  Miner  held 
a  series  of  meetings  at  Overman's  School-House,  northwest  of 
Canton,  which  were  the  means  of  adding  ten  more  to  the  chui'ch 
membership.  Another  protracted  effort  at  the  same  place,  where- 
in Elder  Miner  was  assisted  by  Elder  Joel  Sweet,  of  Trivoli,  re- 
sulted in  ten  more  additions ;  and  the  same  series  of  meetings  re- 
moved to  Canton,  wherein  Elder  Ichabod  Clark  was  assisting 
Elder  Miner,  gave  thirteen  more  additions  to  the  membership. 

About  the  1st  of  March,  1856,  Elder  Joslin  came  to  the  aid  of 
the  pastor  of  this  church,  in  a  series  of  meetings  which  resulted 
in  the  additions  of  twenty -five  more  members. 

At  the  annual  business  meeting  held  on  the  15th  of  November, 
185G,  Elder  S.  G.  Miner  was  for  the  eighth  time  elected  pastor 
by  a  unanimous  vote,  and  his  salary  was  increased  from  $500  to 
$1000.  November  23d,  1856,  letters  of  dismission  were  granted 
to  Alonzo  Barnes,  T.  C.  Luther,  Rebecca  Barnes,  Elizabeth  Lu- 
ther, Joseph  B.  Robison,  Abigail  Robison,  Matthias  Himinover, 
and  Matthew  McComb,  for  the  purpose  of  uniting  with  others  in 
the  formation  and  organization  of  a  Baptist  Church  at  Prairie 
City,  Illinois. 

Elder  Jacob  Knapp  again  assisted  Elder  Miner  in  a  series  of 


60  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

meetings,  commencing  early  in  December,  1857,  and  added 
twenty-five  new  members  to  the  church  as  the  fruits  of  his  labors. 

July  31st,  1858,  letters  of  dismission  and  commendation  were 
granted  to  Bros.  James  Burson,  Alanson  Swan,  Alonzo  M.  Swan, 
and  Sister  Nancy  W.  Burson,  for  the  purpose  of  organizing  a 
Baptist  Church  at  Yates  City,  Illinois. 

On  the  24th  of  October,  1858,  Elder  S.  G.  Miner  resigned  his 
pastoral  connection  with  the  church;  but  the  church  by  vote  re- 
fused to  accept  his  resignation  at  that  time.  There  had  grown 
up  some  dissatisfaction  in  regard  to  his  pastoral  relation,  which 
satisfied  Elder  Miner  that  the  day  of  his  usefulness  had  about 
closed  so  far  as  his  connection  with  this  church  was  concerned; 
but  the  majority  of  the  church  thought  differently,  and  earnestly 
plead  with  him  to  remain.  He,  however,  was  inexorable,  and  did 
sever  his  connection  with  the  church  as  its  pastor  on  the  30th  of 
October,  1858,  after  eleven  years'  pastorate.  It  is  not  now  ne- 
cessary nor  would  it  be  profitable  to  discuss  the  reasons  pro  and 
con  which  led  to  this  separation.  It  created  great  dissatisfaction 
among  the  membership  of  the  church.  Elder  Miner,  however, 
was  recalled  after  one  year's  absence. 

January  3d,  1859,  letters  of  dismission  were  granted  to  Jaquez 
Vorhees,  Sarah  V.  Vorhees,  Elizabeth  Hill,  Alletta  Ann  Ferine, 
Christian  V.  Spader,  Jane  V.  Spader,  Amanda  T.  Ferine,  and 
Wm.  Ferine,  for  the  purpose  of  being  organized  into  a  Baptist 
Church  in  Henderson  county,  Illinois. 

During  the  year  of  Elder  Miner's  absence,  Elder  H.  Daniels 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  church,  but  declined.  Elder 
T.  S.  Griffith  was  also  called,  but  would  not  accept,  although  con- 
senting to  supply  the  pulpit  for  a  few  months. 

On  the  10th  of  September,  1859,  Elder  S.  G.  Miner  was  again 
elected  pastor  of  the  church  by  a  large  majority,  and  consented 
to  serve.  He  accordingly  returned,  and  remained  with  them  as 
pastor  until  December  22d,  1860,  when  he  again  resigned,  this 
time  permanently.  The  immediate  cause  of  this  resignation 
seems  to  have  grown  out  of  difficulties  originating  in  the  choir, 
but  were  really  but  the  old  difficulties  fanned  into  a  new  flame. 

Elder  Miner  was  not  an  eloquent  man,  yet  his  discourses  were 
sound  in  doctrine  according  to  the  tenets  of  his  church,  and  re- 
spectable in  ability.  As  a  pastor  he  was  without  doubt  one  of 
the  most  competent  ever  in  Canton.  Kind,  cordial  and  tender, 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  61 

he  was  at  once  the  pastor,  father  and  brother  of  the  younger 
members,  and  the  sympathizing  friend  of  all.  Mr.  Miner  was 
loved  by  a  majority  of  the  citizens  of  the  town  as  few  men  have 
ever  been  loved,  and  by  the  membership  of  the  church,  with  few 
exceptions,  as  few  men  ever  are. 

On  the  9th  of  June,  1861,  Rev.  Mr.  Webb,  of  Dixon,  Illinois, 
was  elected  pastor,  at  a  salary  of  $600  per  annum ;  but  he  appears 
to  have  declined,  and  on  the  3d  of  August  Rev.  W.  B.  Bolton,  of 
St.  Louis,  was  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  began  his  labors  on  the 
18th  of  August,  1861. 

Elder  Bolton  began  a  series  of  meetings  on  the  15th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1862,  which  resulted  in  the  addition  of  twenty-eight  persons 
to  the  church. 

On  the  10th  of  September,  1862,  a  council  called  by  the  church 
convened,  and  ordained  John  C.  Bolton  to  the  work  of  the  min- 
istry in  connection  with  the  Baptist  Denomination. 

In  August,  1864,  Elder  Bolton  resigned  his  position  as  pastor, 
but  agreed  to  reaccept  the  position  at  a  salary  of  $800  per  annum, 
he  being  permitted  to  practice  medicine  at  the  same  time.  In 
January,  1865,  Elder  Bolton  asked  an  increase  of  salary  to  $1200 
per  annum,  he  to  quit  the  practice  of  medicine  and  devote  his  en- 
tire time  to  the  church ;  but  the  church  refused  to  grant  the  in- 
crease, and  accordingly  he  resigned,  his  resignation  taking  effect 
on  the  15th  of  February,  1865. 

In  March,  1865,  the  church  elected  Rev.  W.  R.  Webb  as  its 
pastor,  agreeing  to  pay  him  one  thousand  dollars  per  annum, 
quarterly  in  advance.  He  accepted  the  call  and  began  his  labor 
in  April  of  that  year. 

At  the  annual  first  of  January  Week  of  Prayer,  in  1866,  there 
was  an  unusually  great  revival,  considering  the  fact  that  no  out- 
side assistance  was  called  and  no  revivalist  was  laboring  with  the 
church.  Eighty -five  persons  were  added  to  the  church  as  the  re- 
sult of  this  meeting.  , 

Under  Elder  Webb's  administration  there  was  a  thorough  over- 
hauling of  the  church  records  and  a  general  weeding-out  of  un- 
worthy members.  The  great  numbers  who  from  time  to  time 
had  been  added,  many  of  whom  had  removed  from  the  city  and 
whose  names  were  still  borne  upon  the  church  books,  necessitated 
this  measure.  After  the  weeding-out  had  been  completed,  the 
membership  for  1867  footed  up  a  total  of  375  members.  They 


62  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

had  raised  that  year,  for  pastor's  salary,  $1000;  for  incidental  ex- 
penses, $261;  for  domestic  missions,  $77.85;  for  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Union,  $80.45;  for  Sabbath  School,  $326;  for  printing  min- 
utes, $5.00;  a  total  of  $1,750.30. 

In  January,  1867,  a  four- weeks  protracted  meeting  was  held, 
Elder  "Webb  being  assisted  by  Rev.  Mr.  Palmer,  of  El  Paso,  Illi- 
nois. This  meeting  resulted  in  the  addition  of  thirty  persons  to 
the  church  communion. 

Elder  Webb  terminated  his  connection  with  the  church  as  its 
pastor,  by  resignation,  on  the  1st  of  October,  1870,  leaving  with 
the  esteem  of  the  church  and  the  community.  His  labors  had 
been  successful  in  healing  old  breaches  and  more  firmly  establish- 
ing the  church  in  a  pure  membership.  Mr.  Webb  was  a  man  of 
fair  ability  as  a  speaker,  and  a  careful  and  deservedly  popular 
pastor.  He  received  while  here  the  degree  of  D.D.  from  Ham- 
iltqn  University. 

On  the  1st  of  January,  1871,  Elder  D.  H.  Cooley,  having  been 
elected  pastor  of  the  church,  entered  upon  the  discharge  of  his 
duties,  at  a  salary  of  $1,200  per  annum,  payable  monthly. 

Elder  Cooley  signalized  his  advent  as  pastor  by  a  series  of 
meetings  beginning  with  the  annual  January  Week  of  Prayer, 
which  were  instrumental  in  a  revival  of  the  Christian  zeal  of  the 
members  of  the  church  and  the  addition  to  its  numbers  of  twenty- 
three  persons. 

Elder  Cooley  promises  to  prove  one  of  the  most  useful  pastors 
the  church  has  had. 

In  connection  with  this  church  there  has  been,  ever  since  its 
removal  to  Canton,  a  large  and  constantly-increasing  Sabbath 
school. 

There  are  many  features  in  the  history  of  this  church  which 
would  be  interesting  to  the  religious  reader;  but  the  limits  of  this 
volume  will  not  admit  a  more  extended  history. 

Three  of  the  members  of  the  old  Duck  Creek  Church,  atod  they 
among  the  earliest  members,  are  still  living  and  still*  in  full  fel- 
lowship with  the  church,  viz.,  Maria  Wilson,  widow  of  Samuel 
Wilson,  and  William  Swan  and  Jane  Swan  his  wife.  Each  of 
these  were  admitted  in  1833.  Each  has  maintained  connection 
with  the  church  for  a  period  of  thirty-eight  years. 

The  present  membership  is  360. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  63 

• 

In  1852,  David  M.  Smith,  jr.,  was  employed  as  sexton,  and  for 
over  nine  years  discharged  the  duties  of  that  office  at  a  salary  of 
$100  per  annum, —  discharging  them  faithfully,  and  to  the  entire 
satisfaction  of  church  and  congregation. 


THE  FIRST  SABBATH  SCHOOL. 

IK  the  fall  of  1832  and  soon  after  the  Black-Hawk  War,  a 
Sabbath  school  was  organized  in  Canton — rather  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  which  Canton  was  the  nucleus.  It  was  conducted  by 
Gabriel  Walling  as  superintendent,  and  met  in  the  second  story 
of  Childs  &  Stillman's  Distillery  on  Big  Creek,  a  little  north  of 
the  west  end  of  Cole  street.  Here  were  gathered,  in  addition  to 
the  children  belonging  to  town,  children  from  Barnes's  settle- 
ment, from  John  Orendorff's  neighborhood,  Sterling  Turner's 

children,  and  indeed  children  from  the  entire  circuit  around  Cau- 

i 

ton  for  three  or  four  miles,  until,  when  all  were  assembled,  there 
were  not  less  than  eighty  scholars  in  attendance.  Here,  with  the 
aid  of  Christians  of  all  denominations,  were  taught,  on  Sabbath, 
the  juvenile  minds  in  the  ways  of  life  eternal,  and  during  the 
week,  in  the  room  below,  adults  were  fitted  for  eternal  death. 

This  Sabbath  school  gradually  gave  place  to  denominational 
schools,  and  by  1840  each  of  the  churches  represented  here  by 
an  organization  had  schools  of  their  own.  Now  there  are  over 
twenty-five  Sabbath  schools  in  the  county. 

In  1857  the  friends  of  Sabbath  schools  in  the  county  decided 
to  organize  County  Sabbath-school  Conventions,  for  the  better 
organization  of  the  system,  Mr.  Wm.  P.  Turner  writes  me  in  re- 
gard to  this  movement  as  follows : 

"Mil.  A.  M.  SWAN.  Dear  Sir:  .  .  .  My  mind  and  heart  were  greatly 
exorcised  in  that  direction.  I  was  a  volunteer  S.  S.  Missionary — so  much 
so  that  my  thoughts,  by  night  and  by  day,  were  directed  to  the  Sabbath- 
schoql  work. 

"As  a  result  of  these  meditations,  I  prepared  a  paper  to  be  used  at  any  pre- 
liminary meeting  that  might  be  called  as  a  basis  for  organization,  and  prepared 
myself  to  show  what  might  be  done  to  thoroughly  canvass  the  county 
throughout  every  school-district  and  township.  Finally,  one  Sabbath  after- 
noon in  1857,  a  preliminary  meeting  of  the  friends  of  Sabbath  schools  was 
held  at  the  residence  of  Deacon  John  G.  Piper,  in  Canton*  There  were 
present,  I  think,  John  G.  and  I.  S.  Piper,  John  W.  Ingersoll,  Cyrus  and  Na- 


64  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEEBS  AND  HISTORY. 

than  Overman,  myself,  and  a  few  others  whose  names  have  escaped  my 
memory.  I  was  called  upon  to  state  the  object  of  the  meeting,  which  I  did 
as  briefly  as  possible,  and  also  read  my  constitution.  Brother  Ingersoll's  re- 
mark was,  '  The  plan  of  that  constitution  is  about  what  we  need,  if  we  only 
had  the  men  to  carry  it  out.  It  is  rather  too  cumbersome,  there  is  too  much 
of  it,  as  we  are  now  situated.'  Deacon  Piper  stated  that  he  had  received  a 
letter  from  Bro.  Parrish,  of  Farmington,  suggesting  the  propriety  of  calling 
a  county  convention.  Out  of  this  meeting  grew  the  first  County  Sabbath- 
school  Convention  ever  held  in  Fulton  county.  During  the  summer  I  visit- 
ed Lewistown,  Marietta,  Vermont,  and  other  townships,  and  urged  this  mat- 
ter. We  got  the  convention  called,  holding  it  at  Lewistown.  My  constitu- 
tion was  the  basis  of  the  present  constitution  under  which  the  county 
convention  is  organized.  The  first  President  was  Deacon  John  G.  Piper. 
I  think  this  was  two  years  before  the  organization  of  any  other  county  in 
the  state :  now  all  of  our  one  hundred  and  two  counties  are  organized,  and 
we  have  had  a  State  Sabbath-school  organization  and  convention  for 
eight  or  ten  years. 

"  Yours  respectfully,  WM.  P.  TURNER." 


ANECDOTES. 


CONVERTING  DRUNKARDS. 

SOON  after  the  Indian  War,  a  Methodist  preacher  who  had 
been  assigned  to  this  circuit  preached  a  temperance  sermon  here, 
following  it  up  by  the  circulation  of  a  total-abstinence  pledge. 
A  good  many  of  the  people  signed,  including  many  who  scarcely 
ever  indulged  themselves,  but  signed  simply  for  the  sake  of  cast- 
ing the  weight  of  their  influence  upon  the  side  of  temperance. 
Among  the  signers  were  Isaac  Swan  and  Elizabeth  Swan,  Nathan 
Jones  and  Matilda  Jones,  Joel  Wright  and  his  wife,  all  temper- 
ate. The  preacher  was  delighted  with  his  success,  and  at  once 
forwarded  to  the  newspaper  organ  of  his  church  an  account  in 
which  he  stated  that  the  Lord  was  abundantly  blessing  his  labors, 
and  that  he  had  been  the  humble  instrument  in  God's  hands  for 
the  conversion  and  reformation  of  the  following  drunkards :  then 
followed  a  list  of  the  names  of  all  who  had  subscribed  to  his 
pledge.  Isaac  Swan  did  not  see  this  article  till  on  a  Sunday 
morning  just  before  starting  to  church,  and  it  excited  his  indigna- 
tion terribly.  On  arriving  at  the  school-house  where  preaching 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  65 

was  held,  he  found  the  offending  minister  in  the  act  of  reading  a 
hymn.  Marching  up  to  him,  he  laid  his  hand  on  his  shoulder, 
and  in  a  low  but  stern  voice  invited  him  to  step  out  of  doors  be- 
fore proceeding  further  with  his  services.  The  preacher,  seeing 
that  Isaac  was  in  dead  earnest,  concluded  it  was  best  to  comply. 
On  reaching  the  door,  Isaac  pulled  out  the  paper  and  said, 

"Did  you  write  that,  sir?"  pointing  to  the  objectionable  article. 

"I  did,"  responded  the  astonished  minister. 

"Don't  you  know  that  there  is  not  one  word  of  truth  in  it? 
Don't  you  know  that  these  persons" — pointing  to  the  names  of 
several  well-known  temperance  men  and  women  — "  are  not  now 
and  never  have  been  drunkards  ?  " 

The  preacher  stammered,  hesitated,  and  tried  to  explain ;  but 
no  explanation  would  satisfy  Swan.  Said  he, 

"Now,  sir,  you  have  just  one  thing  to  do.  You  must  take  this 
paper  into  the  house,  read  that  article  to  the  congregation  and  tell 
them  that  when  you  wrote  it  you  lied,  and  you  knew  it.  Do  that, 
sir,  or  I  will  break  every  bone  in  your  body." 

The  tremblimg  minister  meekly  accepted  the  terms,  and  read 
the  article,  confessing  that  he  had  lied  and  had  known  it  when 
writing. 

PIONEER  METHOD  OF  ADVERTISING. 

Mrs.  Darrow  was  the  first  milliner  ever  located  in  Canton.  She 
was  a  Methodist,  and,  among  her  accomplishments  in  the  millinery 
line,  she  possessed  the  art  of  making  a  sort  of  fur  bonnet  shaped 
much  like  the  old  round-crowned  Methodist  bonnets.  Old  Father 
Lumery,  one  of  the  earliest  Methodist  preachers  here,  was  much 
pleased  with  Mrs.  Darrow's  bonnets,  and  at  all  his  appointments 
would  exhort  the  Methodist  sisters  to  purchase  them,  say- 
ing that  they  were  the  proper  helmet  for  a  female  warrior  of 
the  Lord.  This  plea  was  so  successful  that  Mrs.  Darrow  was  en- 
abled to  sell  one  of  her  bonnets  to  neai-ly  every  Methodist  sister 
in  four  congregations. 


A  LITERAL  INTERPRETATION. 

At  a  church-meeting  of  a  church  in  Joshua  township,  one  of 
the  brothers  was  arraigned  for  drunkenness.     It  was  proved  that 
he  had  stopped  at  Canton  on  his  way  to  Copperas- Creek  Landing 
9 


66  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

and  indulged  to  the  point  of  drunkenness  in  Mallory's  best.  The 
evidence  being  conclusive,  the  vote  on  the  question  of  expulsion 
was  about  to  be  taken,  when  one  of  the  old  brothers  arose  and 
asked : 

"  Mr.  Cheermau,  kin  I  ax  a  question  ov  the  witness  ? " 

"  Certainly." 

"Will  the  witness  say  if  the  brother  puked  Avhen  he  was 
drunk?" 

"He  did  not,  to  ray  knowledge,"  replied  the  witness. 

The  questioning  brother  looked  over  the  congregation  Avith  a 
confident  air,  and  said : 

"  Brethering  and  sisters,  I  do  n't  reckon  we  kin  do  any  thing 
more  in  this  case.  You  all  know  what  the  Scripter  sez :  '  It  's 
what  comes  out'en  a  man's  mouth  as  defiles  him,  and  not  what 
goes  in.'  Now  if  the  brother  did  n't  puke,  I  reckon  there  was 
nothin'  come  out'en  his  mouth,  and  he  was  n't  defiled." 

The  good  brother  sat  down  conscious  of  having  made  an  irre- 
sistible scriptural  argument  that  could  not  be  overthrown,  and  the 
congregation  decided  he  was  right. 


A  PARSON  NONPLUSSED. 

Rev.  Robert  Stewart,  who  preached  for  the  Presbyterians,  was 
not  always  judicious  in  timing  his  admonitions.  On  one  occa- 
sion he  was  making  a  pastoral  call  on  Mrs.  Alex.  McPheters,  who 
was  sick,  and  there  met  Dr.  Newton.  The  doctor,  as  usual,  was 
under  the  influence  of  liquor,  and  was  pacing  the  floor  snapping 
his  fingers,  and  ejaculating  "  Oh,  h — 1 !"  at  every  step.  The  doc- 
tor's profanity  grated  harshly  on  the  parson's  ear,  and  he  forth- 
with decided  to  reprove  him. 

"Doctor,  you  speak  very  familiarly  of  that  place  called  hell. 
Do  you  know  any  thing  about  it?t5 

The  doctor  stopped  in  his  walk,  eyed  his  interrogator,  gave  the 
peculiar  wink  for  which  he  was  noted,  and  responded  — 
"Yes,  sir:  I  know  all  about  it;  I've  been  there." 
"Been  there?"  said  Stewart,  "well,  tell  us  all  about  it." 
The  doctor  struck  an  attitude,  winked  again,  and  said : 
"I  tell  you,  Bob,  old  hell  is  a  pretty  respectable  kind  of  a  place; 
but  just  a  little  the  other  side  of  old  hell  they  have  got  a  new 
hell  for  Presbyterian  priests,  that 's  the  G — d  d — st  hole  you  ever 
seen." 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  67 

Stewart  never  after  ventured  to  reprove  the  doctor  without 
knowing  whether  or  not  he  was  duly  sober. 


PAY  IX  PKEACHING.  v 

Rev.  Williston  Jones  had  just  moved  into  his  new  house  on 
the  corner  of  Elm  and  Wood  streets,  when  it  occurred  to  him 
that  green  blinds  to  his  windows  would  be  an  improvement. 
Buckley  was  accordingly  called  in  to  do  the  job,  and  was  soon 
at  his  task,  swearing,  working,  and  joking,  as  was  his  habit. 
Williston  one  day  suggested  to  him  the  idea  of  reciprocity  in 
patronage.  "  I  patronize  you,  Mr.  Buckley,  now  you  ought  to 
patronize  me." 

"  Oh,  certainly,"  said  Buckley,  feeling  for  the  scribe-mark  on 
the  strip  he  was  dressing,  "  I  had  just  as  soon  have  my  pay  in 
preaching  as  in  money.  Let  me  see,  how  much  do  you  get  a  year 
for  preaching?"  Williston  informed  him.  "How  many  sermons < 
do  you  preach  per  annum  ?  "  continued  Buckley.  On  this  point 
he  also  received  information.  Taking  out  his  pencil,  he  com- 
puted how  much  preaching  his  job  would  pay  for,  and  informed 
Williston  that  his  work  would  just  come  to  two  sermons.  No 
more  was  thought  of  the  matter  by  Mr.  Jones  until,  on  passing 
Buckley's  shop,  some  time  afterward,  he  was  hailed  and  his  bill 
presented  as  follows : 

"Rev.  Williston  Jones  to  A.  W.  Buckley,  Dr.  To  fixing 
Blinds  on  windows,  2  Sermons." 

" Now,  sir,"  said  Buckley,  "I  need  those  sermons  to-day,  so 
you  may  just  mount  that  work-bench  and  preach  them."  Mr. 
Jones  was  nonplussed,  and  insisted  on  paying  the  money.  Buck- 
ley at  first  demurred,  demanding  the  fulfillment  of  his  contract, 
but  finally  relented  and  took  the  money. 


Buckley  on  one  occasion  visited  St.  Louis,  and  at  dinner  at  a 
leading  hotel  had  placed  before  him  a  bill  of  fare.  Being  exceed- 
ingly near-sighted,  he  did  not  undertake  to  read  it,  probably  did 
not  notice  it.  On  the  waiter's  returning  for  his  order,  Buckley 
inquired  what  they  had,  and  was  directed  for  information  to  the 
bill  of  fare  lying  before  him.  Picking  up  the  document,  he 
handed  it  to  the  astonished  waiter,  with  the  remark,  "  Oh,  d — n 


68  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

it,  fill  the  bill."  While  eating,  he  noticed  several  snobs  loudly 
calling  the  waiters  to  change  their  plates.  Now  at  Tyler's, 
Sebree's  and  Freeman's  taverns  this  plate-changing  was  not  in 
vogue,  and  Buckley  thought  it  foolishness ;  so,  to  rebuke  it,  he 
arose  and,  in  a  stentorian  voice,  called,  "Waiter,  change  my 
chair.  By  G — d,  I  '11  have  something  changed." 

Buckley  was  an  infidel.  His  residence  being  opposite  the  old 
Baptist  Church,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  donating  five  dollars  an- 
nually to  the  Baptist  Sabbath  school.  Some  one  inquired  how  it 
was  that  one  entertaining  his  religious  views  should  be  thus  lib- 
eral to  a  Sabbath  school.  "  I  do  it,"  said  he,  "  to  keep  the  d — d 
boys  out  of  my  cherry-trees  on  Sunday." 


One  of  the  pioneers  relates  of  himself  and  a 'companion  a  story 
in  this  wise : 

"  Ike  and  me  were  coming  up  from  Copperas-Creek  Landing  in  a 
wagon.  On  the  road  up  we  concluded  we  'd  steal  a  pig  from  a 
mighty  fine  litter  we  seen  along  the  road.  Well,  we  stole  the  pig, 
and  throwed  it  into  the  wagon  and  brought  it  home.  We  thought 
a  good  deal  of  that  pig,  slopped  and  fed  it  carefully  until  it  was 
nearly  big  enough  to  kill.  So  one  day  the  pig  got  out,  and  one 
of  the  neighbors  put  it  up  right  away.  We  soon  found  out 
where  it  was  and  went  after  it;  but  the  plagueoned  feller  would 
n't  give  it  up.  '  You  see,'  said  he,  '  I  got  that  hog  the  same  way 
you  fellers  did,  and  I  got  just  the  same  right  to  it  you  had ;  and 
just  the  less  you  say  about  it  the  better.'  Ike  and  me  had  no 
more  to  say,  we  just  let  the  feller  keep  it." 


The  religious  belief  of  three  of  the  old  pioneers  may  be  in- 
ferred from  the  following  conversation,  which  occurred  in  Dr. 
Bell's  drug-store  soon  after  the  death  of  John  Coleman,  sen.  Old 
Shannon  and  Benjamin  Perry  were  sitting  by  the  fire  warming, 
when  old  Ha'penny,  an  old  Revolutioner,  who,  from  some  trifling 
cause,  had  fallen  out  with  Coleman  during  his  life,  entered. 

Said  Ha'penny,  "  Well,  Coleman  's  dead  and  in  h— 11,  and  I  'm 
glad  of  it." 

Shannon,  assuming  an  air  of  tragic  dignity,  at  once  responded, 
"  Mr.  Ha'penny,  you  are  laboring  under  a  delusion :  "  Mr.  Coleman 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  69 

is  not  in  the  evil  country ;  Mr.  Coleman  is  an  inhabitant  of  the 
good  country.  Mr.  Coleman  is  not  in  the  rank  and  file  in  the 
evil  country,  either;  on  the  contrary,  her  most  august  and  im- 
perial highness  has  given  him  an  official  position  in  the  home  of 
the  blessed." 

"  How  in  h — 1  do  you  know  ?  "  responded  Ha'penny. 

"Why,  sir,"  said  Shannon,  "Mr.  Coleman  and  myself  com- 
mune with  each  other  daily.  He  comes  to  me  for  instruction  in 
regard  to  the  important  duties  of  his  position.  I  am  his  mentor, 
sir,  and  talk  with  him  face  to  face,  as  a  man  talks  with  his 
brother." 

Perry  had  listened  uneasily  to  this  conversation,  and  could  no 
longer  keep  out.  Rising  and  pacing  rapidly  back  and  forth, 
swinging  the  skirts  of  his  blue  coat  in  an  excited  manner,  he  broke 
out — "You  are  both  a  pair  of  d — d  old  fools.  Coleman  lies  right 
up  here  on  the  hill  five  feet  and  a  half  under  ground,  and  he'll  lie 
there  till  the  resurrection.  I  know,  by  G — d,  for  I  helped  to  put 
him  there." 


THE  FIRST  TURNING-LATHE. 

THE  first  turning-lathe  in  Canton  was  owned  and  operated  by 
Deacon  Nathan  Jones.  It  was  a  spring-pole  lathe,  with  the  cord 
wound  around  the  stick  to  be  turned,  in  such  a  manner  that  the 
stick  ran  half  the  time  one  way  and  half  the  time  the  other.  Up- 
on this  lathe  the  deacon  turned  his  chair-stuff'.  This  lathe  was  a 
part  of  the  outfit  of  the  first  chairmaker's  shop  in  Canton.  It  is 
related  of  the  deacon,  while  engaged  in  this  shop,  that  on  one  oc- 
casion he  had  carried  a  lot  of  chair-stuff"  into  the  kitchen  to  season 
by  the  kitchen  fire.  The  deacon  had  neglected  to  provide  Aunt 
Matilda — his  wife  —  with  wood,  and  this  neglect  had  so  excited 
the  old  lady's  ire  that  she  seized  and  burnt  an  armful  of  chair- 
rungs.  The  deacon  stood  and  contemplated  the  destruction  of 
his  chair-rungs  in  solemn  silence  for  some  moments.  As  the 
flames  began  to  curl  around  them,  the  deacon's  lips  parted,  and 
his  hand  was  raised,  not  in  anger,  but  in  sadness.  He  tipped  his 
hat  to  one  side  with  the  uplifted  hand,  and  exclaimed,  "Matilda, 
I  wish  you  were  in  Heaven !"  And  this,  it  is  recorded,  was  the 
most  nearly  an  oath  the  good  old  man  had  ever  allowed  to  escape 
his  lips. 


70  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

The  first  power  lathe,  operated  by  horse-power,  was  put  up  by 
Daniel  H.  Dewey,  and  began  operations  in-  March,  1838,  on  the 
ground  still  occupied  by  Mr.  Dewey,  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
White  and  Jones  streets.  Mr.  Dewey  also  put  into  operation  the 
first  circular  saw  in  Canton,  in  1841.  It  was  eight  inches  in 
diameter,  and  was  used  in  cutting  blind-stuff — Mr.  Dewey  be- 
ing at  that  time  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  window-blinds. 

About  the  same  time  that  Mr.  Dewey's  power  lathe  was  put  in 
operation,  his  brother  Milton  C.  Dewey  had  a  lathe  operated  by 
men  turning  a  large  crank,  and  Peter  L.  Snyder  another  operated 
in  the  same  manner. 

The  first  kiln  of  brick  ever  made  here  was  burnt  in  1830,  and 
was  made  by  Deacon  Jones.  The  deacon  burnt  several  kilns 
during  the  five  or  six  succeeding  years,  taking  into  partnership 
with  him  in  the  business  his  son-in-law  Loving  Ames.  Jones  & 
Ames  furnished  the  brick  for  the  first  brick  house  that  was  erected 
in  Canton.  This  house  was  built  for  James  Hood,  was  situated 
on  lot  74,  Jones's  Addition  to  the  Town  of  Canton,  between 
Jones  and  Walnut  streets,  fronting  on  Fourth  street.  The  house 
is  still  standing.  Jones  &  Ames  also  furnished  the  brick  for  the 
Canton  College.  These  brick  were  not  equal  in  quality  to  brick 
made  here  now,  as  the  makers  did  not  thoroughly  understand  the 
business  or  the  material  they  were  called  upon  to  work. 


THE  CORN-HUSKING. 

A  PIONEER  corn-husking  was  an  event  of  more  than  ordinary 
interest,  at  which  would  congregate  the  young  and  many  of  the 
middle-aged  of  the  entire  neighborhood.  When  the  farmer's 
corn  was  "snapped"  from  the  stalk,  in  the  husk,  and  the  time  ar- 
rived for  it  to  be  "opened"  for  winter  use,  a  boy  would  be  dis- 
patched to  warn  the  settlers,  for  miles  around,  that  "We're 
g'wine  to  have  a  schuckin'  til  our  house  Wednesday  nite,  and  we 
want  you  all  to  come  over."  This  invitation  was  more  sure  to 
meet  an  affirmative  response  than  do  the  perfumed  and  gilt-edged 
cards  of  invitation  of  this  more  refined  age. 

About  three  o'clock  of  the  day  of  the  "  shuckin',"  the  young 
folks  would  begin  to  arrive :  the  beaux  dressed  in  linsey-woolsey 
' '  hunting-shirts,"  or  "  wamuses,"  and  the  girls  in  checked  linsey, 


CANTON:  ns  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  71 

or  cotton  gowns,  with  cow-hide  brogans.  The  corn  had  been  di- 
vided, when  hauled,  into  two  separate  piles  of  equal  size;  and  be- 
fore these  piles  the  assembly  was  convened.  From  among  the 
most  expert  huskers  two  captains  would  now  be  chosen.  These 
captains,  when  selected,  would  toss  up  for  first  choice  of  huskers, 
and  then  choose  alternately  from  among  those  present,  male  and 
female,  until  all  the  working  hands  had  been  selected.  Now  rails 
were  placed  between  the  piles  to  prevent  the  sly  kicking  of  corn 
from  one  pile  to  another,  and  at  a  given  signal  work  would  begin. 

And  now  the  fun  would  grow  fast  and  furious,  each  side  striv- 
ing to  outstrip  the  other,  and  each  side  taunting  the  other  with 
their  lack  of  skill  and  sloth.  Whenever  some  lucky  fellow  found 
a  red  ear  in  husking,  he  was  entitled  to  a  kiss  from  his  girl.  At 
some  frolics  the  "red  ear"  entitled  its  "shucker"  to  a  kiss  from 
all  the  girls  on  his  side ;  of  course,  the  announcement  of  a  "  red 
ear"  was  the  signal  for  fun,  and  many  a  tussel  would  ensue  be- 
tween some  stout  and  buxom  pioneer  lass  and  stalwart  beau;  he 
determined  to  have  the  kiss  to  which  the  "  shuckers' "  law  de- 
clar§d  him  entitled,  and  which  with  the  maiden  coyness  and  fun 
she  would  pretend  to  refuse.  It  was  noticed,  however,  that  the 
man  in  these  encounters  was  always  the  stronger  vessel,  and 
would  be  sure  to  obtain  his  kiss.  And  such  is  human  nature  to 
this  day. 

At  frequent  intervals,  during  the  evening,  the  bottle  of  Mo- 
nongahela  whisky  would  be  passed,  and  all  "took  it  by  word  of 
mouth";  i.  e.,  each  would^  turn  the  bottle  up  to  their  lips,  drink 
from  it  and  pass  it  to  their  next  neighbor,  male  or  female. 

The  victorious  captain  would  be  seized  by  the  party,  raised 
upon  the  shoulders  of  a  few  stout  men,  and  borne  from  the  husk- 
ing-pile  to  the  house,  surrounded  by  the  crowd,  cheering  and 
shouting;  the  bottle-holder  marching  by  his  side,  furnishing  him 
refreshments  by  the  way. 

After  the  piles  would  be  husked,  loud  crowing  and  shouting 
would  announce  the  victory;  and  the  winning  party  enjoyed 
themselves  hugely  at  the  expense  of  the  vanquished.  Husking 
completed,  supper  was  next  in  order.  This  meal  had  been  pre- 
pared by  the  more  sedate  of  the  matrons,  while  the  young  folks 
were  busy  "  shucking."  Boards  were  spread,  borne  upon  boxes 
or  tables,  and  a  bounteous  meal  prepared.  The  choicest  pewter 
and  delft  dishes  from  the  whole  neighborhood  had  been  borrowed 


72  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

for  the  occasion ;  and  the  table  fairly  groaned  under  its  load  of 
venison,  stewed  squirrel,  squirrel  pie,  chicken  pie,  johnny-cake, 
hominy,  honey,  and  stewed  pumpkin.  Perhaps,  too,  if  the  laud- 
lord  was  rich,  there  would  be  a  high  dish  of  fried  doughnuts  at 
each  end  of  the  table. 

At  these  frolics  many  a  backwoods  youngster  would  master 
courage  to  tell  his  inamorata,  in  faltering  terms,  of  his  love,  and 
receive  her  coy  pledge  of  fidelity. 

After  supper  the  tables  would  be  cleared,  the  furniture  removed 
to  the  "  yard,"  the  dogs  driven  out,  and  a  dance  begin.  The 
fiddler,  who  was  an  important  personage  at  these  gatherings, 
witn  an  air  of  pompous  authority,  would  take  his  position  at  one 
end  of  the  room  and  announce  with  professional  dignity  a  four- 
handed  reel,  or  jig.  At  these  dances  there  was  no  standing  still ; 
each  "hoed  it  down"  with  might  and  main,  in  a  style  that  would 
excite  the  astonishment  of  a  dancing-master  of  to-day.  The  jig  , 
was  a  favorite  dance,  as  it  gave  the  boys  an  opportunity  to  cut 
each  other  out,  and  in  it  each  tried  to  tire  out  all  the  rest;  so  that 
it  would  some  times  continue  for  hours.  . 

The  bottle  passed  as  frequently  during  the  dance  as  it  had  be- 
fore the  "  shucking,"  and  we  confess,  with  shame,  that  our  ances- 
tors would  some  times  get  just  a  little  uproarious  before  daylight, 
for  it  was  not  until  daylight  that  any  body  thought  of  going 
home. 

When  the  dance  broke  up,  bashful  swains  and  coy  maidens 
would  trudge  off  homeward,  on  foot,  hand  in  hand ;  or,  perhaps, 
both  mounted  on  one  horse,  go  jogging  along  together  telling 
of  the  fun  that  they  had  enjoyed.  Carriages  and  sleighs  were 
then  unknown ;  and  had  they  not  been,  the  roads  were  not  in  a 
condition  to  have  made  it  pleasant  traveling  over  them. 


THE  SHINGLE  WEAVER.    THE  FIRST  FRAME  HOUSE 
IN  CANTON. 

ONE  of  the  earliest  steamboats  in  the  Illinois-River  trade  was 
the  steamer  "Exchange,"  which  plied  between  St.  Louis  and 
Peoria.  She  was  familiarly  known  as  "the  Shingle  Weaver"; 
so  called  from  the  fact  ot  her  carrying  upon  her  hurricane  deck  a 
machine  for  cutting  shingles,  which  was  operated  by  the  ma- 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  73 

chinery  of  the  boat,  cutting  whenever  the  boat  was  in  motion. 
Shingle  timber  would  be  obtained  at  the  wood-yards  along  the 
river,  and  market  found  for  the  manufactured  goods  either  at  St. 
Louis  or  Peoria.  This  boat  was  an  especial  favorite  with  the 
people  of  Canton,  many  of  whom  would,  when  desiring  to  take  a 
trip  by  river,  wait  for  her  coming,  and  most  of  the  early  stocks 
of  goods  were  shipped  on  her;  she  also  carried  most  of  the  Can- 
ton "  beeswax  "  and  other  products  to  their  market. 

The  first  frame  house  erected  on  grounds  now  within  the  pres- 
ent city  limits  was  built  for  Deacon  Natlmn  Jones,  in  the  spring 
of  1830.  Isaac  Swan  was  the  "boss  carpfenter,"  and  was  aided 
by  the  deacon.  TMs~building  is  still  standing,  on  the  south  side 
of  Jones  street,  between  Wood  and  Lewiatown  streets,  and  is  now 
occupied  by  Mrsi  Dean.  ItHa  a  tgo^atory  frame  house.  The 
frame,  of  the  ' V>ld-fashioned "  variety,  was  built  without  any 
sawed  stuff;  the  joists  and  studding  being  split  out  of  heavy  tim- 
ber, the  sills  and  plates  hewed,  and  the  weather-boarding  split 
boards,  shaved.  The  weather-boarding  was  not  jointed,  but  the 
ends  of  the  clapboards  were  shaved  thin,  and  lapped.  The  roof 
was  laid  with  split  and  shaved  oak  shingles.  The  floor,  door- 
frames, corner-boards  and  stairs,  were  alone  of  sawed  lumber. 
When  the  carpenters  had  finished  their  work,  Mrs.  Jones  took 
the  job  of  painting,  and  did  quite  a  respectable  job,  too,  painting 
it  Venetian  red.  This  house  was  considered  to  be  the  most  styl- 
ish in  the  country.  As  Deacon  Jones  was  Postmaster  and  kept 
the  Post-Office  at  his  house,  it  became  the  place  of  resort  for  the 
most  intelligent  of  the  pioneers,  who  would  congregate  here  and 
discuss  educational  and  religious  topics.  This  building  was  not 
on  the  original  town  plat,  however,  being  then  considered  out  of 
town.  The  first  frame  erected  on  the  original  town  site  was  built 
in  1831,  and  was  the  property  of  Joel  Wright.  This  building 
was,  in  fact,  but  an  addition  to  an  already  existing  cabin.  Isaac 
Swan  was  also  the  builder  of  this.  It  was  occupied  by  Mr.  {/ 
Wright  as  a  store-room,  and  was  situated  on  the  southeast  corner 
of  Wood  and  Illinois  streets.  This  building  is  still  standing,  but 
has  been  removed  from  its  original  site,  and  is  now  standing  on 
First  street,  between  Illinois  and  Cole  streets.  It  was  occupied 
until  recently  by  David  Will,  as  a  wagon-maker's  shop. 
10 


74  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


"  SHOW-DAY." 

"SHOW-DAY"  was  an  institution  twenty  years  ago.  The  dead 
walls  and  the  bar-room  walls  had  been  plastered,  for  weeks  pre- 
ceding, with  pictures  of  all  sorts  of  impossible  feats.  Animals 
unheard  of  in  natural  history  were  to  be  there  in  abundance. 
Two  clowns,  the  wittiest  that  ever  were  known,  had  been  engaged 
at  an  unheard-of  expense,  expressly  for  this  "great  combination 
show."  What  excitement  these  bills  produced.  On  Saturday 
crowds  would  stand  before  them,  commenting  on  the  wonders 
that  were  to  be  exhibited. 

"  Show-day "  here  at  last.  By  the  first  gray  streak  of  early 
dawn  the  boys  are  wide  awake,  and  have  gone  down  to  the  Lew- 
istown  Bridge,  to  see  the  show  come  in.  They  are  small  boys  at 
first  who  wait  about  the  bridge;  but  by  seven  or  eight  o'clock 
older  boys  begin  to  arrive,  and  by  nine  o'clock  a  few  gray  hairs 
are  sprinkled  among  the  waiting  crowd.  A  few  adventurous 
spirits,  not  content  with  waiting  at  the  bridge,  have  disappeared 
an  hour  ago  over  the  hill  toward  Shepley's,  and  now  their  shouts 
are  heard,  as  they  discern  in  the  distance  —  away  out  toward 
Captain  Slosson's — the  pioneer  teams  of  the  coming  show. 
There  is  a  rush  now;  across  the  bottom,  up  the  hill,  splash,  splash, 
through  the  mud  they  go,  until  the  first  wagon  is  reached,  and 
then — but  pshaw,  it's  only  a  baggage-wagon  at  last!  And  now 
they  pause  and  wait,  as  one  after  another  of  the  long  train  of 
wagons  pass,  and  all  are  anxious  —  they  want  to  see  the  band- 
wagon, the  actors,  the  elephants,  and  camels.  The  procession 
stops  in  the  Big  Creek  bottom,  and  the  forty-horse  team  is  har- 
nessed to  the  band-wagon,  whose  body  resembles,  in  a  distant  and 
uncertain  kind  of  way,  the  mythical  dragon  which  no  body  ever 
saw.  How  the  boys  wonder,  and  how  wisely  the  gray  heads  talk 
of  "them  ar  leaders,  and  that  ar  on0  wheel-hoss."  The  band  are 
mounted  now,  and  the  procession  moves.  How  the  excitement 
boils  and  bubbles,  until  every  fellow  wishes  it  was  always  show- 
day.  The  band  has  crossed  the  bridge,  but  the  elephant  refuses 
to  trust  his  weight  upon  the  frail  structure.  How  anxious 
the  boys  grow!  Will  they  ever  get  him  across?  What  a 
whopper  he  is.  But  the  dilemma  is  overcome;  he  has  forded  the 
narrow  stream,  and  the  great  tracks  in  the  soft  mud  will  be  visited 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  75 

for  a  month  after  the  show  is  gone.  As  the  procession  reaches 
the  hill  by  "  Bishop  "  Clark's,  there  are  accessions  to  the  crowd ; 
men,  women  and  children  gather  and  fall  into  line  upon  both 
sides  of  the  road.  When  the  square  is  reached,  it  would  not  be 
exaggeration  to  say  that  there  were  more  people  on  the  square 
than  there  was  population  in  the  town.  As  the  band  moves 
around  the  square  and  through  the  principal  streets,  there  is  a 
shouting,  yelling  procession  that  reminds  one  of  pandemonium  let 
loose. 

And  now  Grandmother  Bridgman  has  set  up  her  cake-stand, 
and  quarter-sections  of  gingerbread  begin  to  appear  under  the 
arms  of  hungry  fellows  from  the  country,  who  have  started  this 
morning  before  breakfast,  so  that  no  part  of  the  procession  or 
show  might  be  lost.  And  now  comes  Captain  Haackee  with  a 
barrel  of  cider,  and  more  gingerbread,  which  he  is  selling  to 
hungry  and  thirsty  customers.  The  peripatetic  candy-stand  has 
also  been  opened.  The  vender  of  razor-straps  and  patent  soap 
has  opened  his  mouth,  and  gathered  an  admiring  crowd.  The 
regular  circus  bummers,  who  follow  in  its  train,  are  named  legion, 
and  all  are  low  gamblers,  and  will  have  had  victims  when  the 
tents  are  folded  and  show-day  is  over,  Here  comes  good  old 
Deacon  Jones,  to  hear  the  music;  and  there  is — but  why  single 
out,  when,  with  one  excuse  or  another,  all  will  be  sure  to  see 
the  show;  at  least  stand  outside  where  they  can  listen  to  the 
clown  and  the  music. 

He  who  was  not  a  boy  in  a  western  village  on  show-day,  at 
least  once  in  his  life,  knows  but  little  of  life,  and  is  to  be  sincerely 
pitied  for  his  ignorance.  Old  men,  young  men,  old  women, 
young  women,  and  children,  all  are  here,  and  all  will  see  the 
show.  They  have  been  picking  blackberries  and  selling,  saving 
eggs  and  churning  rolls  of  yellow  butter  for  the  occasion.  I  well 
recollect  when  I  visited  my  first  show.  I  had  earned  the  money 
by  cutting  "jimpson  weeds"  around  the  old  church  in  the  public 
square,  and  I  was  richer  then  —  prouder  of  my  success  —  than  I 
have  ever  been  since,  or  ever  expect  to  be. 


76  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


THE  WESTERFIELD  DEFEAT. 

IN  the  spring  of  1832  the  Black-Hawk  War  was  a  source  of 
great  alarm  to  the  citizens  of  Canton.  Major  Isaiah  Stillman,  of 
Canton,  in  command  of  a  battalion  of  volunteer  infantry,  was  in 
the  field,  and  had  under  him  most  of  the  young  men  of  the  com- 
munity. On  the  13th  of  May,  1832,  the  force  under  his  command 
met  with  a  defeat  above  Dixon,  in  Lee  county,  on  what  has  since 
been  known  as  "  Stillman's  Run,"  and  the  news  soon  reached 
Canton,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  Bird  Ellis,  Tyus  Childs  and 
John  Walter,  from  the  vicinity  of  Canton,  had  been  killed,  and  a 
number  of  others  from  here  wounded.  This  news  not  only  cast 
a  gloom  over  the  community,  but  created  a  feeling  of  insecurity 
in  the  bravest  of  the  settlers,  and  of  decided  alarm,  amounting  in 
many  cases  to  absolute  panic,  in  the  more  timid. 

The  settlers  were  certainly  liable  to  attack  from  the  red-skins, 
who  were  known  to  be  in  force  and  on  the  war-path  to  the  north. 
There  was  no  adequate  force  in  reach  to  prevent  any  incursion 
they  might  feel  disposed  to  make,  when  the  "Westerfield  De- 
feat," as  it  was  called  'in  derision,  occurred.  Perhaps  never  in 
the  history  of  frontier  life  has  there  occurred  so  broad  a  farce 
with  so  many  of  the  elements  of  tragedy  and  melodrama  com- 
bined. The  news  of  Stillman's  Defeat  had  reached  Canton,  and 
grief-stricken  mothers  were  in  the  first  anguish  of  their  mourning 
for  slaughtered  sons,  when  rumors  reached  the  settlement  of  a 
purpose  on  the  part  of  Black  Hawk  and  his  warriors  to  move 
southward  for  an  attack  on  scattered  inhabitants.  The  excitement 
was  intense.  Stories  of  slaughtered  families,  of  burnt  homes,  of 
"captive  women  and  children  subjected  to  every  fiendish  indignity, 
were  the  current  subjects  of  conversation  at  every  gathering. 
Meetings  were  called  in  every  neighborhood,  and  preparations  for 
defense  or  refuge  begun.  Block-houses  and  stockade  forts  were 
erected,  and  scouts  kept  constantly  in  the  prairies  to  the  north- 
ward to  warn  the  people  of  the  approach  of  the  Indians. 

One  of  these  forts  was  erected  around  the  store  and  residence 
of  Joel  Wright,  on  the  corner  of  Wood  and  Illinoft  streets,  where 
Mrs.  Wilson  now  resides.  This  fort  consisted  of  two  block- 
houses and  a  palisade  inclosure  of  split  logs.  This  was  built  by 
standing  the  logs  on  end  in  a  deep  trench,  which  was  then  filled 
up  and  the  dirt  well  pounded  around  the  logs. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  77 

In  March,  1832,  scouts  were  sent  out  by  the  people  of  Canton 
to  see  if  any  indication  of  hostile  Indians  could  be  discovered. 
These  scouts  had  been  out  several  days,  but  had  brought  in  no 
report  of  an  alarming  nature,  when  one  day,  toward  the  last  of 
the  month,  Peter  Westerfield,  an  old  frontiersman,  and  Charley 
Shane,  a  Frenchman,  determined  to  go  on  a  scouting  expedition 
on  their  own  responsibility.  They  were  both  well  mounted,  and, 
crossing  Big  Creek  north  of  town  in  the  prairie,  rode  nearly 
north  until  they  reached  a  point  nearly  in  the  line  between  Farm- 
ington  and  Ellisville,  on  Spoon  River.  The  morning  before  they 
started  out  a  number  of  mounted  white  men  had  crossed  the 
prairie  from  Peoria  toward  Quincy,  and  their  trail,  of  course,  was 
fresh  and  showed  very  plainly  in  the  dried  prairie  grass.  They 
had  rode  single  file,  in  Indian  style,  and  a  better  scout  than  even 
Peter  Westerfield  might  have  been  deceived  by  their  trail. 
When  Westerfield  and  Shane  reached  this  trail,  they  both  dis- 
mounted, examined  it  carefully,  and  both  were  satisfied  that  it 
had  been  made  by  a  large  party  of  mounted  Indians.  They  cau- 
tiously followed  the  trail  until  their  suspicion  crystalized  into 
comparative  certainty,  when,  remounting,  they  started  back  to- 
ward Canton  to  alarm  the  citizens,  and  take  measures  for  the 
safety  of  themselves  and  families.  As  they  neared  Big  Creek — 
which  by  the  melting  of  snow  had  risen  until  it  was  out  of  its 
banks, —  they  had  a  new  cause  for  alarm. 

Jonathan  Buffum  and  Ed.  Therman  had  holed  a  wolf,  and  were 
shooting  into  the  hole.  They  were  in  a  direct  line  between  where 
Westerfield  and  Shane  reached  Big  Creek  and  Col.  Barnes's  place 
—  where  John  Lane  now  lives.  These  boys  were  not  only  shoot- 
ing, but  indulging  in  all  sorts  of  unearthly  yells,  imitating  In- 
dians, screaming  and  hallooing.  Another  pioneer  was  squirrel- 
shooting  in  the  same  vicinity,  and  another  party  shooting  at  a 
mark  in  the  same  neighborhood. 

Westerfield  and  Shane  listened  to  these  noises  with  undisguised 
fear.  That  it  was  Indians  there  could  be  no  mistake  —  Indians  at 
bloody  work,  shooting,  tomahawking  and  scalping  the  families  of 
Col.  Barires  and  Henry  Therman.  They  did  not  stop  long  to  con- 
sider, but  plunged  headlong  into  the  turbid  waters  of  the  raging 
Big  Creek,  and  right  gallantly  did  their  noble  steeds  buffet  the 
mad  waves,  until  the  angry  stream  divided  them  from  the  dread- 
ed foe.  Their  saddles  were  wet  and  heavy,  and  would  load  their 


78  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

beasts  too  much  for  the  fearful  race  for  life  they  were  entering 
upon,  and,  with  a  coolness  never  too  much  to  be  admired,  they 
dismounted  and  relieved  their  gallant  steeds  of  the  dripping 
leathern  saddles,  which  were  deposited  for  safety  in  a  convenient 
thicket  of  hazel.  This  was  the  work  of  but  a  moment,  when 
they  remounted  upon  the  backs  of  their  bare-backed  animals  and 
were  away  over  the  smooth  prairie,  across  the  few  ravines,  and  on, 
on  to  the  fort  at  Canton.  As  they  passed  the  cabin  of  Wheaton 
Chase,  they  shouted  "Injins  are  killing  Barnes's  folks :  flee  for 
your  lives ! "  Soon  Coleman's  grocery  was  reached,  and  the  cry 
of  "Injins!  Injins!"  reiterated.  On,  on  to  the  fort  they  rode, 
and  still  their  cry  was  "  Injins !  Injins ! "  "  The  Injins  have  killed 
every  body  at  Barnes's  and  Therman's ! " 

And  now  began  a  scene  of  the  wildest  confusion.  Men  shouted 
the  dreaded  alarm;  women  screamed;  small  boys,  pale  with 
fright,  crept  into  the  dense  hazel-thickets  and  fled  for  their  lives. 
Some  of  these  boys  were  thus  hiding  for  days  and  days,  subsist- 
ing on  roots,  berries,  and  elm-bark.  "  To  the  fort !  To  the  fort ! " 
was  now  the  cry,  and  soon  the  people  were  gathering,  a  pale, 
nervous,  affrighted  throng,  within  the  little  wooden  inclosure 
which  was  then  their  only  hope  of  safety.  To  us,  who  from  the 
distance  of  nearly  forty  years  contemplate  the  scene,  it  is  a  broad 
comedy ;  but  to  those  affrighted  pioneers  it  was  a  tragedy,  the 
denoument  of  which  might  prove  fatal  to  them  and  their  loved 
ones.  It  was  known  that  Keokuk  and  three  thousand  warriors 
were  encamped  opposite  the  Yellow  Banks,  held  in  check  only  by 
his  promise  of  neutrality ;  and  who  would  believe  the  word  of  the 
treacherous  red-skin?  Black  Hawk's  band,  too,  were  on  the  war- 
path. They  had  defeated  Major  Stillman,  and  men  from  Canton 
were  among  the  victims,  while  between  here  and  the  scene  of 
that  disaster  there  was  no  sufficient  force  for  the  protection  of  the 
infant  settlement.  All  these  facts  were  well  known,  and  had  been 
frequently  canvassed  among  the  settlers.  Peter  Westcrfield  was 
a  man,  too,  in  whose  word  the  most  unbounded  confidence  was 
placed.  He  was  a  Baptist  licensed  preacher,  a  man  of  undoubted 
courage,  and  had  had  a  considerable  frontier  experience.  He  be- 
lieved the  trail  he  had  seen,  the  yells  he  had  heard,  the  firing  he 
had  listened  to,  the  work  of  Indians,  and  had  no  doubt  that  Col. 
Barnes's  family  had  been  massacred.  What  wonder  the  defense- 
less people  were  frightened ! 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  79 

Preparations  for  defense,  however,  were  not  neglected.  The 
women  filled  several  large  kettles  with  water,  and  determined  to 
aid  all  they  could  in  the  common  defense  by  using  it  on  the  foe. 
There  were  incidents  of  broad  comedy  intermingled,  even  then, 
with  the  tragedy,  that  caused  grim  smiles  to  illumine  even  faces 
white  with  fear — incidents  that  have  served  to  enliven  many  a 
fireside  description  of  those  frightful  days. 

Joel  Wright  was,  by  common  consent,  selected  as  the  com- 
mander of  the  fort,  and  Isaac  Swan  as  his  second  in  command. 
Joel  was  dressed  in  a  light  suit,  with  a  linen  round-about.  Dur- 
ing the  excitement  he  was  every  where;  assuring  frightened 
women,  issuing  orders  for  defensive  preparations,  and  distributing 
powder  and  lead  to  the  men. 

Be  it  understood,  the  women  preserved  their  courage  far  better 
than  their  lords,  as  was  evidenced  by  the  fact  that  when  no  male 
hand  could  be  found  sufficiently  steady  to  pour  melted  lead  into 
bullet-moulds,  a  woman  volunteered  to  make  the  bullets,  and 
made  them  without  spilling  a  drop  of  the  melted  meltal.  Mrs. 
Doctor  Coykendall  was  particularly  noted  for  her  coolness  and 
courage  on  this  occasion,  and  did  most  of  the  bullet-moulding. 

To  recount  all  the  varied  phases  of  this  scare  woufd  itself  re- 
quire a  volume:  some  were  dramatic,  most  farcical,  as  viewed 
through  the  light  of  forty  years,  and  by  the  knowledge  that  there 
was  absolutely  no  danger.  Among  the  amusing  incidents  of  the 
day  was  the  arrival  at  the  fort  of  Jerry  Coleman  and  'Squire 
McKim,  who  were  at  Coleinan's  mill,  on  Big  Creek,  when  West- 
erfield's  news  was  communicated  to  them.  Jerry  got  the  word  a 
few  seconds  in  advance  of  McKim,  and,  being  lame,  set  out  at 
once.  McKim  was  not  long  in  overtaking  him,  however.  Mc- 
Kim wore  an  old-fashioned  dress  or  swallow-tailed  coat,  and  as 
he  ran  past  the  slow-paced  Jerry,  the  coat-tails  offered  so  tempt- 
ing an  aid  to  the  boy's  flight  that  he  could  not  refrain  from  seiz- 
ing hold  of  them  with  both  hands.  McKim  was  a  large,  portly 
man,  who  weighed  nearly  two  hundred :  at  the  same  time  McKim 
was  a  frightened  man,  and  fright  is  ever  selfish.  He  was  not 
willing  to  be  retarded  by  the  weight  of  Jerry  attached,  like  the 
weight  to  the  tail  of  a  kite,  to  his  coat-skirts,  so  he  turned  on 
Jerry  and  tried  to  disengage  his  hold ;  but  Jerry's  grip  was  al- 
ways good,  and  fear  had  turned  it  into  a  grip  of  iron;  he  would 
not  let  go. 


80  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

"  For  God's  sake,  Jerry,  let  me  go,  or  we  will  both  be  killed  ! 
Please,  Jerry,  let  me  save  my  own  life !" 

But  Jerry  heeded  not  his  pleadings ;  like  Sinbad's  Old  Man  of 
the  Sea,  he  could  not  be  shaken  off. 

McKim  turned  to  run,  but  still  the  weight  of  the  crippled  boy 
would  retard  his  speed,  and  he  would  turn  again  and  plead  and 
fight,  and  pray  for  deliverance  from  the  tormenter.  Jerry  loved 
life  and  feared  Indians  too  much  to  be  influenced  either  by 
prayer,  threats,  or  blows.  He  hung  on,  and  was  still  hanging  on 
when  McKim  dashed  into  the  fort. 

Jerry  found  his  father  gone  and  the  store  thrown  wide  open. 
He  took  possession  and  sold  out  the  whole  stock  of  powder  and 
lead  in  a  few  moments,  not  stopping  to  take  an  account  of  sales 
or  settle  with  customers.  It  had  cost  him  nothing,  and  he  sold 
at  cost  and  was  satisfied. 

Wm.  Haunan,  Charles  Reeves  ind  William  Babbett,  boys  of 
perhaps  a  dozen  years  old,  were  so  much  infected  with  the  con- 
tagion of  fear  that  they  determined  to  seek  refuge  in  flight.  They 
accordingly  left  town  and  took  to  the  timber.  They  crossed  Big 
Creek  north  of  Jacob  Ellis's  mill,  and  struck  down  the  creek 
through  th£  timber  to  a  point  west  of  Lewistown,  where  they  hid 
in  a  dense  thicket.  Young  Reeves  had  on  a  pair  of  buckskin 
breeches,  and  during  his  flight  he  had  got  them  completely  satu- 
rated with  water.  When  the  party  took  to  cover  he  pulled  them 
off  and  hung  them  up  on  some  brush  to  dry.  This  was  a  serious 
error  on  Charles's  part,  as  the  sequel  showed.  He  had  not  taken 
into  his  calculation  the  peculiar  idiosyncrasy  of  buckskin,  and 
found,  to  his  chagrin,  that  the  pants  which  had  fitted  exactly  be- 
fore they  were  wet,  been  too  large  while  saturated  with  the 
treacherous  fluid,  were  in  their  dried  state  infinitely  too  small  — 
so  much  so  that  by  no  amount  of  stretching,  coaxing  or  pulling 
could  they  be  induced  to  come  over  his  bare  limbs.  He  had  to 
give  it  up  in  despair,  and  made  the  rest  of  his  trip  through  brush 
and  briers  in  a  primitive  toilet,  more  simple  and  convenient  than 
pleasant.  They  were  out  all  the  day  of  the  Westerfield  scare, 
all  the  succeeding  night,  and  until  the  next  night,  subsisting  on 
berries  and  elm-bark.  How  long  they  would  have  hidden  no  one 
can  aflirm — perhaps  they  would  have  been  hiding  until  this  day, 
— had  they  not  been  attracted  by  the  sound  of  an  ox-driver's 
"  Wo-haw,  Buck,"  and  ventured  to  "interview"  him,  thus  learn- 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  81 

ing  that  the  clanger  was  over  and  that  they  could  safely  return  to 
their  homes. 

At  Col.  Barnes's  the  news  was  tardy  in  coming  that  Wester- 
field  brought.  The  colonel  was  out  serving  at  the  head  of  his 
company  under  Stilhnan.  Stephen  Babbett's  wife  heard  the 
alarm  sounded  on  the  east  side  of  Big  Creek,  and,  gathering  up 
one  child  and  calling  to  her  two  remaining  children  to  follow,  ran 
at  her  utmost  speed  to  Barnes's.  Henry  Andrews,  then  a  boy  of 
perhaps  fourteen  years  old,  saw  her  coming  and  called  to  know 
what  was  the  matter.  "Oh,"  she  exclaimed,  "the  Indians  are 
murdering  every  body  across  the  creek.  The  people  are  running 
and  hallooing  Indians !  Indians ! "  Andrews  at  once  sent  Col. 
Barnes's  two  younger  boys  over  to  old  Mr.  Swegle's  to  give  them 
alarm,  and  in  a  short  time  they  returned,  bringing  with  them  the 
old  gentleman  —  who  was  far  advanced  in  years  —  and  his  old 
lady  and  daughter.  Mrs.  Barnes  now  took  the  direction  of  affairs, 
and  directed  the  party  to  seek  shelter  in  a  thicket  at  the  head  of 
a  neighboring  ravine.  Tp  reach  this  thicket  the  party  were  in- 
structed to  strike  the  ravine  at  a  point  considerably  below,  and 
then  to  follow  up  the  bed  of  the  stream,  wading  in  the  stream  to 
hide  their  trail.  The  two  small  boys  led  the  way,  and  the  old 
gentleman  and  the  women  and  children  followed.  There  were 
fourteen  persons  in  all,  and  only  one  boy,  armed  with  a  trusty 
rifle  to  protect  them,  Henry  Andrews,  brought  up  the  rear;  and 
as  he  followed  he  picked  his  flint  and  prepared  for  the  struggle 
for  life  and  for  the  lives  of  the  women  and  children  who  were 
confided  to  his  guardianship. 

"  Oh,  Henry,"  said  Mrs.  Barnes,  "  what  can  you  do  with  so 
many  of  us?" 

"  I  will  do  the  best  I  can  and  kill  as  many  of  them  as  I  can," 
responded  Henry. 

On  reaching  the  cover  of  the  dense  hazel-thicket,  the  party 
took  to  cover,  except  Henry,  who  stood  guard  for  a  couple  of 
hours  —  and  they  seemed  mortal  hours  to  the  boy,  who  looked 
each  moment  to  have  the  red-skins  pounce  upon  him.  At  last, 
grown  tired  of  waiting,  Henry  determined  to  venture  to  Canton 
and  see  what  the  real  condition  of  affairs  might  be.  He  pro- 
ceeded very  cautiously,  keeping  in  the  cover  of  the  hazel-brush 
as  much  as  possible,  until  he  reached  the  "  Morse  quarter "  ad- 
joining Canton,  when  he  came  upon  John  Huff,  who  was  out  on 
11 


82  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

guard.  Huff  was  frightened,  and  it  was  with  difficulty  Henry 
succeeded  in  making  himself  known :  he  succeeded  finally,  and 
proceeded  to  the  fort.  Here  he  found  the  wildest  confusion  ex- 
isting. All  crowded  around  him,  believing  him  the  sole  survivor 
from  among  the  settlers  on  the  west  side  of  the  creek.  Mutual 
explanations  followed,  and  at  once  the  scare  was  at  an  end.  This 
scare  was  named,  in  honor  of  its  progenitor,  "  Westerfield' s  De- 
feat," and  as  such  is  still  known. 

The  Westerfield  scare  was  by  no  means  confined  to  Canton, 
but  spread  through  all  the  surrounding  townships.  In  the  Mai- 
lory  settlement — now  Putman  township — -'were  living  quite  a 
number  of  settlers,  among  whom  were  the  Mallorys,  Fellows, 
Stricklands  and  Holcombs.  There  was  an  understanding  be- 
tween Isaac  Fellows  and  Joel  Coykeudall,  at  Canton,  that  if  any 
serious  alarm  was  given,  Joel  should  communicate  the  news  to 
Fellows. 

No  sooner  had  the  word  brought  by  Peter  "Westerfield  reached 
Canton,  of  proximity  of  Indians,  than  Joel  mounted  a  fleet  horse 
and  rode  at  utmost  speed  to  Fellows's,  to  warn  him  of  danger, 
according  to  his  promise.  The  men  in  the  neighborhood  had  met 
that  afternoon  to  drill;  the  place  of  muster  being  near  old  Mr. 
Holcomb's.  Thither  Coykendall  was  directed  by  Mrs.  Fellows, 
who,  terribly  alarmed,  gathered  up  her  two  children,  Penella  and 
Stephen,  and  calling  for  her  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Cyrus  Fellows, 
started  for  the  same  place. 

The  company  at  drill  were  terribly  excited  when  Coykendall 
communicated  his  news,  and  at  once,  by  common  consent,  sepa- 
rated, with  the  understanding  that  they  would  meet  and  fort  at 
Holcomb's,  whose  house  was  the  most  roomy  in  the  settlement. 

Holcomb's  house  was  a  cabin,  with  two  rooms,  and  situated  on 
the  prairie.  He  had  no  stable,  but  on  the  ground,  ready  for  rais- 
ing, had  the  logs  for  a  small  log-barn. 

The  men  were  wonderfully  expeditious  in  collecting  their  little 
families  at  Holcomb's;  so  expeditious,  indeed  that  not  a  man  of 
them  had  thought  of  his  arms.  When  all  were  assembled,  the 
scene  would  have  beggared  the  pencil  of  Hogarth  to  paint  all  its 
serio-comic  and  tragic  effects.  Women,  with  disheveled  locks, 
were  praying;  men  palsied  with  fear,  and  children  screaming  with 
affright.  Some  one  suggested  that  a  fort  must  be  built  about  the 
house.  The  suggestion  was  grasped  at,  as  drowning  men  grasp 
at  straws. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  83 

i.  OlcKMr.  Holcomb  seized  a  spade,  and  rushing  out  before  his 
^ooA  began  to  excavate.  "What  on  arth'are  you  a  doin',  old 
\\^n\s"  shouted  his  wife. 

"Diggin'  a  fort,"  said  he,  as  he  frantically  exhumed  spadeful 
after  spadeful  of  the  rich,  black  loam. 

It  was  soon  discovered  that  the  supply  of  barn-logs  would  not 
be  sufficient  for  a  stockade;  so  it  was  decided  to  build  a  breast- 
work. This  was  soon  completed,  and  was  only  about  three  feet 
in  hight.  Then  was  discovered  a  dire  calamity.  Here  was  a 
breast-work,  and  here  were  brawny  defenders,  but  there  was  only 
one  gun  that  was  serviceable. 

Breast- works  aie  a  good  thing  in  themselves,  but  without  arms 
their  strong  points  in  defensive  warfare  could  not  be  brought  out 
to  advantage.  What  was  to  be  done  ?  So  much  time  had  been 
occupied  in  preparing  their  fortifications  that  it  was  not  probable 
there  would  be  time  to  return  to  their  homes  for  arms  before  the 
murdering  savages  would  be  upon  them,  and  then,  the  women 
have  since  suggested,  that  their  lieges  were  too  much  —  well,  say 
demoralized, —  to  venture  so  far  from  the  fort.  Some  one  sug- 
gested clubs ;  and  as  there  happened  to  be  a  convenient  thicket, 
the  suggestion  (  was  at  once  adopted.  Clubs,  those  primitive 
weapons  of  warfare,  were  cut  in  such  abundance  that  Mrs.  Isaac 
Fellows  persists  to  this  day  in  saying  there  were  fully  four  wagon- 
loads;  enough  to  keep  the  Holcomb  family  in  wood  until  long  af- 
ter corn-planting. 

While  the  young  and  athletic  men  were  engaged  in  the  club 
business,  old  Mr.  Strickland,  who  weighed  nearly  three  hundred 
pounds,  and  was  too  fat  to  venture  so  far  as  the  thicket,  engaged 
in  improvising  for  himself  a  weapon  more  formidable  than  the 
club.  Procuring  a  bayonet  with  about  one-third  of  the  point 
end  broken  off,  he  fastened  it  to  a  hoe-handle;  then  stationing 
himself  before  a  window  in  an  arm-chair,  he  poised  his  blunt 
spear,  and,  with  an  expectant  look,  pronounced  himself  ready  to 
send  whoever  of  the  red-skins  should  present  himself  at  that  win- 
dow to  his  last  account.  As  Strickland  sat  expectant,  waiting,' 
watching,  he  prayed  —  for  he  was  a  religious  man  —  watched  and 
prayed,  determined  to  die  at  his  post  —  and  no  Indian  within  fifty 
miles.  While  Strickland  was  preparing  his  formidable  weapon, 
old  Mrs.  Stewart,  who  weighed  nearly  as  much  as  that  old  hero, 
was  loading  and  doubly  loading  the  only  serviceable  gun. 


84  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Still  the  Indians  did  not  come,  and  men  and  women  began  to 
breathe  easier.  Finally  one  bold  pioneer  volunteered  to  go  down 
the  road  tqward  Canton  and  see  if  he  could  discern  any  signs  of 
the  enemy.  He  soon  returned  with  hair  erect,  and  eyes  dilated, 
and  declaring  that  the  "Injins"  were  coming,  marching  in  solid 
column,  at  least  a  thousand  strong. 

And  now  Pandemonium  was  a  quiet  place  compared  with  Fort 
Holcomb.  Men,  women,  children,  all  were  screaming,  all  were 
praying,  all  were — but  why  attempt  to  describe  what  is  indescriba- 
ble ?  Had  Black  Hawk,  with  any  of  his  braves,  been  within  a 
mile,  the  noise  then  and  there  would  have  frightened  them  out 
of  the  country. 

Still  the  Indians  did  not  appear.  Dark  came,  lights  were  extin- 
guished, and  in  darkness  and  doubt  the  frightened  people  watched 
and  waited.  Twelve  o'clock,  and  still  no  ruthless  savage.  Dawn, 
rosy  dawn,  came,  and  still  the  wary  savage  failed  to  make  morn 
hideous  with  his  terrible  war-cry. 

And  now  came  a  suspicion,  faint  at  first,  but  gradually  growing 
stronger  until  it  crystalized  into  conviction,  that  the  scare  was 
without  foundation,  and  then,  all  at  once,  men  became  brave. 
Messengers  were  now  found  willing  to  go  to  Canton  to  learn  the 
extent  and  cause  of  the  alarm.  They  soon  returned,  bringing  the 
good  news  that  there  was  not  an  Indian  within,  perhaps,  one  hun- 
dred miles  of  the  county  line. 

The  "Westerfield  scare  was  communicated  to  the  Moores's  Grove 
settlement  by  a  runner,  who  crossed  below  the  Lewistown  Bridge 
and  made  his  way  to  Harvey  Crosswait's.  Crosswait  communi- 
cated the  alarm  at  once  to  his  neighbors,  inviting  them  all  to  take 
refuge  at  his  new  log-house,  which  was  quite  roomy  and  tolerably 
well  calculated  for  defense.  Between  Crosswait's  and  Joshua 
Moores's  there  was  a  ravine  that,  on  account  of  the  melting  snow, 
had  -been  converted  into  a  raging  torrent.  Crosswait  went  as 
nearly  to  Moores's  as  this  torrent  would  permit,  and  hallooed 
across  to  old  Mrs.  Moores.  The  old  gentleman  was  now  quite 
old,  and  Walters,  his  son-in-law,  had  just  been  killed  at  Stillman's 
defeat.  Old  Mr.  Moores  gathered  up  his  sick  wife  in  his  arms 
and,  followed  by  his  daughter  Jennie,  her  sister,  and  their  four 
children,  they  started  for  the  expected  place  of  safety.  On  ar- 
riving at  the  slough,'  they  waded  in  across  the  bottom  for  some 
distance  to  a  foot-log  across  the  small  stream,  Mr.  Moores  carry- 


CANTON:   ITS   PIONEERS  AND   HISTORY. 


ing  his  wife,  the  two  daughters  wading,  each  carrying  a  child  and 
leading  one.  When  the  foot-log  was  reached,  Mrs.  Moores  ex- 
pressed her  belief  that  the  alarm  was  false,  and  insisted  on  being 
taken  back  home;  but  at  length,  yielding  to  the  entreaties  of  her 
children  and  the  expostulation  of  her  husband,  consented  to  go 
forward.  The  whole  party  crossed  over — the  old  folks  by  crawl- 
ing on*  their  hands  and  knees,  and  the  younger  women  by  wading 
through  the  swift  current,  carrying  one  child  and  dragging  the 
other.  This  was  not  accomplished  without  danger,  as  the  water 
was  deep  and  the  current  swift. 

When  the  two  young  women  had  reached  the  shore,  they  noticed 
close  behind  them  a  neighbor  woman — Mrs.  Robinson,  with  two 
children,  wading  through  the  overflowed  bottom  toward  them,  and 
at  once  determined  to  wait  for  and  assist  her  across.  When  Mrs. 
Robinson  reached  the  foot-log,  Mrs.  Walters  called  to  her  to  know 
where  he  was.  Mrs.  Robinson  replied,  "I  don't  know.  Him  and 
his  brother  were  with  me  until  we  got  to  the  creek,  and  then  dis- 
appeared: I  don't  know  what  has  become  of  them."  It  proved 
that  both  men,  who  were  young,  stout  and  hearty,  had  deserted 
the  poor  woman  to  her  fate,  and  in  company  had  started,  as  fast 
as  their  frightened  limbs  wTould  carry  them,  for  Springfield.  They 
did  not  return  for  more  than  three  weeks. 

Mrs.  Walters  and  her  sister  aided  Mrs.  Robinson  to  cross  the 
stream,  and  accompanied  her  to  Crosswait's,  where  the  company, 
with  many  of  their  neighbors,  remained  until  dark,  when  another 
runner  arrived  from  Jacob  Ellis's,  informing  them  that  there  had 
been  no  danger. 

John  Orendorf,  Esq.,  relates  the  incidents  of  the  Westerfield 
scare  occurring  east  and  south  of  Canton. 

Orendorf  and  Richard  Addis  had  started  to  Hazael  Putnam's 
place  —  since  known  as  the  "  Woods  Farm," —  to  attend  the  muster 
of  their  militia  company.  On  the  way  across  Canton  prairie 
and  when  ne#r  the  mound,  they  met  Richard  Tompkins,  who  in- 
formed them  that  Peter  Westerfield  had  just  come  home,  and 
brought  word  that  the  Indians  were  killing  every  body  north  of 
Canton — that  Barnes's  folks  had  all  been  killed,  and  the  danger 
was  imminent. 

"Who  seen  Westerfield?"  asked  Orendorf. 

"  George  Anderson,"  was  the  reply. 

Orendorf  expressing  doubt  of  the  truth  of  Anderson's  state- 


86  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEEKS  AND  HISTORY. 

ment  to  some  extent  reassured  Tompkins,  and  he  consented  to 
return  and  go  with  Orendorf  and  Addis  to  Westerfield's  house. 
Westerfield  resided  on  what  is  now  known  as  the  "  Capps  farm." 
On  arriving  at  Westerfield's,  they  found  the  place  deserted  — 
Westerfield  having  fled  to  the  woods  with  his  family  for  shelter. 
They  accordingly  turned  and  rode  over  to  Putnam's.  Here  they 
found  the  militia  company  in  consultation  as  to  the  course  to  be 
pursued.  Esquire  Orendorf  was  called  upon  for  his  opinion,  and, 
after  questioning  Anderson,  who  was  the  only  person  present  that 
had  seen  Westerfield,  he  expressed  himself  in  favor  of  sending  a 
messenger  at  once  to  Canton  to  ascertain  the  facts,  and  volun- 
teered to  go  himself  on  that  errand.  Addis  at  once  volunteered 
to  accompany  him.  The  company  agreed  to  remain  together  at 
Putnam's  until  their  return. 

Orendorf  and  Addis  set  out  at  once  on  their  mission,  and  had 
scarcely  struck  the  high  prairie  before  they  discovered  Peter 
Westerfield  coming  from  toward  his  place,  and  evidently  with 
the  intention  of  joining  them.  Westerfield  was  mounted,  bare- 
backed, on  a  sorrel  raw-boned  animal ;  his  head  was  enturbaned 
with  a  red  bandana  handkerchief;  he  carried  his  rifle  and  shot- 
pouch  by  his  side,  and  wore  a  look  of  grim  determination.  He 
was  evidently  going  to  war,  and  his  courage  would  not  fail  him. 
Westerfield  communicated  his  news  to  Orendorf  and  Addis,  said 
he  had  hid  his  family,  and  was  going  to  the  fort  at  Canton  to  aid 
in  its  defense. 

On  arriving  at  Canton,  they  found  the  scare  had  subsided  — 
Henry  Andrews  having  come  in  from  the  Barnes  farm  with  news 
of  their  safety,  and  that  no  Indians  were  in  that  vicinity.  When 
Westerfield  heard  this,  he  grasped  Orendorf 's  arm,  and  ex- 
claimed, "I  tell  you,  Orendorf,  it  is  true,  I  know.  Didn't  I  hear 
them  and  see  their  trail?"  It  was  no  use  telling  Westerfield 
that  his  senses  had  betrayed  him. 

Orendorf  and  Addis  now  rode  back  to  Putnam's  tp  notify  the 
company  that  the  danger  was  imaginary ;  but  on  arriving  there 
they  found  that  the  valiant  militia,  taking  a  new  scare,  had  run 
to  their  homes  and  were  hiding  out  their  families. 

Thus  ended  the  most  exciting  day  in  Canton's  pioneer  history. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEEKS  AND  HISTORY.  87 


THEODORE    SERGEANT 

WAS  Lieutenant  of  the  Canton  militia  company  during  the  Black- 
Hawk  War,  and  in  that  capacity  for  a  considerable  period 
had  the  command  of  the  company.  After  Stillman's  defeat,  an 
order  came  from  the  Governor  to  Sergeant  for  seven  men  from 
the  Canton  company.  Sergeant  at  once  •  mustered  his  company 
in  front  of  Childs  &  Stillman's  store,  and  read  the  requisition, 
calling  on  those  who  would  go  to  fall  in  after  the  music,  which 
was  at  the  same  time  ordered  to  march  and  countermarch.  Up 
and  down  tramped  the  musicians  before  the  company,  but  not  a 
man  fell  in  behind  them.  Sergeant  was  equal  to  the  emergency. 
Ordering  the  music  to  cease,  he  went  into  the  store  and  bought 
two  gallons  of  whisky,  which  he  passed  down  the  ranks,  treating 
every  man.  "Now,  boys,"  said  he,  "I've  got  to  have  seven 
men,  or  I  '11  draft  them.  Music !  forward,  march !  Boys,  fall  in, 
you  who  wanlfto  go."  Either  the  whisky,  or  the  threat,  or  pa- 
triotism, proved  potent,  and  nine  more  than  the  required  num- 
ber at  once  fell  in. 


JAMES  SEBREE. 

JAMES  SEBBEE  came  to  Canton  on  the  27th  day  of  October, 
1832.  He  was  from  Piqua,  Ohio,  and  was  a  farmer  by  occupa- 
tion. Mr.  Sebree  brought  with  him  to  Illinois  seven  children, 
five  of  whom  were  boys  and  two  girls  —  one  of  the  girls,  Nancy, 
being  married  to  Lewis  Bidamon,  who  was  also  with  the  family. 
Mr.  Sebree's  arrival  here  was  quite  an  epoch  in  Canton's  history, 
not  only  from  the  impetus  given  to  population  by  the  addition  of 
so  large  a  family,  but  from  the  amount  of  wordly  effects  "Mr. 
Sebree  brought  with  him.  Of  his  sons,  Preston  was  twenty-two, 
Robert  T.  nineteen,  Curren  —  who  died  here  in  October,  1837  — 
fourteen,  Charles  W.  twelve,  and  Howard  W.  ten  years  old. 
Eliza  Jane,  his  single  daughter,  was  also  a  young  lady.  She  af- 
terward married  John  C.  Parks. 

Mr.  Sebree  came  overland  from  Ohio,  and  his  moving  cavalcade 
was  quite  an  imposing  one,  consisting  of  one  six-horse  team  and 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


one  two-horse  carriage.  Mr.  Sebree  bought  property  on  the 
northwest  corner  of  Main  and  Cole  streets,  where  he  soon  after 
opened  the  "  Sebree  Tavern,"  of  which  mention  is  made  else- 
where. Mr.  Sebree  was  for  many  years  familiarly  known  as, 
"  Old  Boon,"  from  a  fancied  resemblance  in  person  or  character 
to  that  old  pioneer.  He  Avas  a  genial,  honest  and  intelligent  man, 
a  hard  worker,  and  in  all  respects  a  good  citizen. 

Mr.  Sebree  used  to  raise  honey,  and  one  winter,  soon  after  com- 
ing to  Canton,  a  pack  of  graceless  boys  conceived  the  idea  of 
stealing  a  stand  to  satisfy  the  cravings  of  their  "  sweet  tooth." 
Accordingly,  Duke  B.  and  A.  J.  Coykendall,  the  Porter  boys, 
one  of  the  McConnels,  and  some  others,  made  a  descent  on  the 
bee-bench  of  old  Boon,  and  captured  one  of  the  heaviest  gums. 
It  was  taken  to  McPheeters's  oil-mill  and  stored  away  in  the  loft, 
where  it  received  regular  visits  from  the  boys  so  long  as  its  sweets 
held  out.  Old  Boon  made  no  complaint,  never  mentioned  his  loss 
to  any  one,  indeed,  but  kept  an  eye  out  for  the  offenders. 

While  the  honey  lasted,  a  revival  meeting  was  commenced  at 
the  Methodist  Church.  Old  Boon  attended,  stationing  himself 
near  the  door.  The  boys  also  attended,  and  were  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  their  stolen  treasure  before  going  to  church,  and  would 
come  in  past  old  Boon  licking  their  fingers,  some  {inies,  too,  with 
a  piece  of  comb  in  their  hands.  Sebree  by  this  means  found 
them  all  out,  but  kept  his  own  counsels  until  spring.  In  the  spring 
he  called  on  the  -young  gentlemen  and  informed  them  that  he 
must  have  pay  for  the  stand  of  honey  they  had  stolen,  and  that 
they  could  choose  between  working  for  him  two  days  each  load- 
ing and  hauling  manure  from  his  stable  or  being  prosecuted.  The 
boys  had  no  alternative  but  to  do  the  work.  Accordingly,  Mr. 
Sebree  set  a  day  for  the  work  to  commence,  and  all  were  on  hand, 
at  noon  the  boys  were  called  in  to  dinner,  and  at  the  table  old 
Boon  would  pass  an  empty  honey-dish  to  each,  insisting  that  he 
should  take  some  of  it.  All  worked  their  time  out  but  Jack  Coy- 
kendall, who  was  discharged  by  the  old  gentleman  for  breaking 
three  forks  the  first  half-day.  Of  course,  the  forks  had  been  pur- 
posely broken.  While  the  boys  were  at  work,  they  were  visited 
by  nearly  the  entire  population  of  the  town,  who  enjoyed  them- 
selves poking  fun  at  them.  Rev.  Dr.  Perry  rode  by  and,  stopping 
by  the  fence,  inquired  of  them  which  they  preferred  —  honey,  or 
manure.  The  lesson  was  not  soon  forgotten  by  the  boys. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  89 

Mr.  Sebree  continued  to  reside  in  Canton  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  in  1867 — he  having  reached  the  ripe  old  age  of  eighty- 
three  years.  He  retained  his  vigor  to  the  last,  and  caught  his 
death-cold  by  wading  throught  the  swamps  and  lakes  in  the  Illi- 
nois-River bottom,  while  hunting,  only  a  few  weeks  before  his 
death.  He  was  old  Boon  to  the  last. 


DEWEY  BROTHERS. 

AMONG  the  sons  of  Orville  Dewey,  who  came  to  Canton  from 
Vermont  in  1832,  were  two  —  Roswell  W.  and  Carroll  C.  Dewey 
—  who  have  since  become  well-known  and  highly-respected  mer- 
chants. Roswell  began  his  business  education  as  a  clerk  for 
Joel  Wright,  in  1836  or '7;  and  Carroll  by  clerking  for  Tracy 
Doolittle,  in  1840.  They  both  continued  at  clerking  until  1849, 
when  they  were  offered  a  copartnership  with  Joel  Wright.  They 
accepted,  and  the  new  firm  began  business  under  the  name  of 
Deweys  &  Wright,  and  did  business  in  the  old  Wright  store- 
room, still  standing,  on  the  north  corner  of  the  Public  Square. 
In  1855  this  firm  was  dissolved  by  limitation,  and  the  Dewey 
Brothers  established  business  on  their  own  sole  account,  under 
the  name  of  R.  W.  &  C.  C.  Dewey.  They  purchased  the  store- 
room of  Sully  &  Tracy,  who  were  then  closing  out  business,  and 
from  that  time  until  January,  1867,  continued  to  do  business  in 
the  same  stand.  At  that  time  their  store-room  was  consumed  by 
fire,  and  for  the  succeeding  year  they  transferred  their  business 
to  the  west  room  of  the  Maple  Block,  now  occupied  by  Thornton, 
Eyerly  &  Co.  They  purchased  during  that  year  the  location  at 
present  occupied  by  C.  C.  Dewey,  and,  remodeling  the  building, 
made  of  it  a  store-room  one  hundred  feet  in  depth,  forming  the  north 
wing  of  Union  Block.  In  1870  Roswell  W.  Dewey  retired  from 
the  firm,  selling  his  interest  to  C.  C.  Dewey,  who  still  continues 
in  business. 

The  Dewey  Brothers  have  never  failed  of  friends  or  customers 
since  they  commenced  business,  and  have  passed,  by  judicious 
management,  through  all  the  financial  revulsions  without  a  failure. 
Patterns  of  business  integrity,  their  example  is  of  great  value  to 
the  younger  class  of  business  men. 
12 


90  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


SAMUEL  PORTER. 

IN  1834  Samuel  Porter  came  to  Canton.  He  was  originally 
from  the  City  of  Boston.  Mr.  Porter  was  a  painter  by  trade,  but, 
finding  very  little  business  in  his  line  among  the  log-cabins  of  the 
pioneers,  with  true  Yankee  adaptability  to  circumstances,  he 
turned  his  attention  to  wagon-making.  Porter  lived  on  Main 
street,  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  Heald's  boarding-house.  He 
went  into  partnership  with  a  man  by  the  name  of  Davis,  in  a  dis- 
tillery which  was  located  in  Utica,  at  some  time  between  1834 
and  1838,  but  did  not  long  continue  in  it. 

Mr.  Porter  was  said  to  have  brought  the  first  violin  to  Canton. 
When  he  came  he  brought  with  him  a  well-supplied  medicine- 
chest,  and  furnished  many  indispensable  articles  to  Drs.  Donald- 
son and  Newton.  Mr.  Porter  also  traveled,  during  his  residence 
here,  as  a  land-agent,  in  the  employ  of  Timothy  Gridley,  a  noted 
land-speculator  of  that  day.  He  was  a  Universalist  in  religious 
belief.  He  removed  from  Canton  in  1838. 


HENRY  CLARK. 

HENRY  CLARK — or,  as  he  was"  familiarly  known,  "Brady 
Clark" — came  to  Fulton  county  in  1832,  from  Ohio.  He  was 
born  and  educated  in  Connecticut.  Mr.  Clark  settled  at  first  in 
Totten's  Prairie,  near  the  "  Tazewell  farm,"  below  Cuba,  where 
he  commenced  business  as  a  hatter.  Mr.  Clark  remained  but  a 
short  time  in  the  place  of  this  settlement,  removing  to  Canton  in 
the  spring  of  1833.  On  his  arrival  at  Canton  he  purchased  three 
acres  of  ground  from  Isaac  Swan,  giving  him  twenty-five  dollars 
per  acre,  which  was  considered  at  that  time  to  be  an  extravagant 
price.  This  property  is  situated  on  South-First  street,  south  of  the 
Lewistown  road,  and  has  been  known  at  different  times  as  the 
"Bishop  Clark  place,"  the  "Slosson  place,"  and  is  now  owned  by 
J.  S.  McCreary,  Esq.  Mr.  Clark  established  here 

THE  FIRST  HATTER'S  SHOP 

in  Canton,  which  he  operated  for  perhaps  one  year,  when  he  sold 
to  D arrow  &  Rice,  who  afterward  took  into  partnership  with 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  91 

them  Irwin  Whitaker.     The  business  was  continued  until  about 
1840. 

Mr.  Clark  sold  his  improvement,  soon  after  making  it,  to 

Dunn,  and  made  another  improvement  south  of  his  first,  on  the 
same  street.     A  portion  of  this  new  improvement  —  twelve  acres 

—  he  sold  to  Thompson  &  Watson,  on  which  the"  Slosson  Mill 
was  erected.     The  house  built  by  Mr.  Clark  was  long  known  as 
the  Bennett  Taylor  place,  now  owned  by  Pat.  Raiferty. 

In  1839  Clark  purchased  a  lot  on  Main  street,  immediately 
north  of  Piper's  Woolen  Factory,  where  he  still  resides.  After 
selling  his  hatting  tools,  he  began  —  with  true  Yankee  versatility 

—  carpentering,  which  he  still  follows. 

Frank,  his  only  son,  is  now  living  in  Clarinda,  Iowa,  where  also 
resides  his  daughter  Mary,  the  wife  of  George  Burns,  late  sheriff 
of  Page  county,  Iowa.  G.  W.  Hardesty  married  one  of  his 
daughters,  and  still  lives  in  Canton.  Jonathan  Neece  married  an- 
other, and  is  now  living  in  Oregon,  Holt  county,  Missouri. 


THE  STORM. 

THERE  is  one  night  in  the  history  of  Canton  that  will  never  be 
forgotten  so  long  as  one  of  its  survivors  is  alive.  "  The  Storm  "  has 
been  and  will  long  continue  to  be  a  household  word  of  fear  among 
the  citizens,  old  and  new;  for,  so  vividly  have  its  incidents  been 
described  by  the  old  to  the  new  citizen,  that  he,  too,  has  caught 
the  infection  of  dread  its  terrors  produced. 

The  18th  of  June,  1835,  had  been  a  showery  day,  and  as  night 
fell,  dark  clouds  were  observed  looming  up  in  the  northwest. 
As  the  twilight  deepened,  from  the  ominous  bank  of  thick  clouds 
there  would  blaze  out  lurid  flashes  of  red  lightning,  that  illumin- 
ated and  made  more  ominous  the  approaching  tempest.  Nine 
o'clock  came,  and  the  people  had  either  retired  to  rest  or  were 
preparing  so  to  do.  Isaac  Swan  was  at  family  worship :  so  were 
several  other  families  in  town,  when  the  roar  of  the  thunder, 
which  had  grown  constant  and  terrific,  was  almost  lost  in  the  ter- 
rors of  another  roar,  so  mournful,  so  dreadful  and  wild  that  it  will 
never  pass  from  the  memory  of  one  who  heard.  It  was  the  roar 
of  the  tornado ;  and  in  a  moment  it  descended  upon  the  doomed 


92  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

village,  descended  with  a  devastating  force  which  could  not  be 
withstood  by  any  frail  tenement  of  man  that  opposed  its  course. 
In  a  moment  of  time  the  air  became  filled  with  the  roofs  and  fly- 
ing timbers  of  exposed  houses.  Rails  and  timbers  of  all  kinds  so 
filled  the  air  that  woe  to  the  luckless  animal  or  person  who  had 
no  shelter;  and  in  another  moment  few  of  the  citizens  but  were 
shelterless.  And  now  came  great  hailstones  and  a  rain-fall,  that 
it  seemed  as  though  the  windows  of  heaven  were  indeed 
opened  and  the  rains  descending  in  a  solid  volume.  Over  and 
above  all  the  roar  of  the  tempest,  the  cries  and  shrieks  of  the 
wounded  and  dying  were  heard,  and  by  the  constant  glare  of  the 
lightning  it  was  seen  that  nearly  the  whole  town  was  in  ruins. 
As  the  wind  lulled,  those  who  were  not  too  badly  injured  would 
venture  out  to  aid  the  wounded. 

Bryant  L.  Cook  was  at  Philip  Grinim's  when  the  storm  struck. 
Grimm's  house  was  unroofed,  the  children  sleeping  up  stairs,  al- 
most by  a  miracle,  preserved,  and  no  one  hurt  of  the  family. 
Cook  at  once  ran  over  to  Isaac  Swan's.  He  stepped  upon  a  pile 
of  ruins  which  had  been  the  house,  and  as  he  did  so,  Betsy  Swan 
cried  out  from  under  the  ruins  "  Oh,  help  me ! "  Cook  went  to 
her,  and  found  her  kept  down  under  the  weight  of  one  of  the 
cabin-log's.  On  removing  it,  she  cried,  "  Oh  God,  my  poor  baby 
is  dead ! "  and  it  was.  She  had  held  it  in  her  arms  during  all  the 
storm,  and  its  brains  were  knocked  out  by  falling  timber.  Cook 
heard  a  groan.  Betsy  too  heard  it,  and  said  "  Oh,  Bryant,  try  to 
get  poor  Isaac  out."  Cook  lifted  one  after  another  of  the  logs, 
and  soon  found  Swan's  body  under  the  debris ;  but  he  was  fatally 
injured.  By  this  time  help  had  arrived,  and  he  was  conveyed  to 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  on  the  Square,  which  had  sustained 
but  slight  injury. 

The  people  now  assembled  at  Joel  Wright's,  Dr.  Donaldson's, 
and  a  few  other  houses  that  were  not  seriously  injured.  At 
Donaldson's  there  was  a  scene  of  wild  confusion :  frightened 
women  and  children  had  been  collected  until  the  house  was 
crowded,  and  there  too  was  Betsy  Swan's  dead  baby,  while  many 
of  those  present  were  suffering  from  contusions  and  bruises.  Elias 
Foster  was  killed  —  a  spoke  from  out  the  wheel  of  a  new  wagon 
driven  into  his  groin.  His  little  girl  was  missing,  and  was  not 
found  until  the  next  morning,  when  she  was  found  dead,  having 
been  blown  from  Foster's  residence  on  the  lot  on  Elm  street,  west 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  93 

of  Wood,  now  occupied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Wasmuth,  to  a  hazel-thicket 
near  the  residence  of  Hiram  Snow,  on  Illinois  street. 

The  storm  appears  to  have  struck  the  earth  between  Fairview 
and  Canton,  and,  after  passing  through  the  timber  west  of  town, 
destroying,  indeed  literally  mowing  a  path  through  it,  had  swept 
over  the  village,  leaving  but  one  or  two  uninjured  buildings,  and 
perhaps  a  dozen  that  were  habitable,  but  demolishing  or  serious- 
ly injuring  every  other  house  in  town.  It  passed  a  little  south  of 
east  over  the  present  poor-farm,  destroying  the  residence  of  Geo. 
W.  Gould  in  that  neighborhood  and  killing  his  wife;  then  on 
through  Duck  Creek  timber  to  the  bluff,  where  it  appears  to  have 
lifted,  and  for  some  distance  at  least  did  no  more  damage. 

The  scene  the  next  morning  was  terrible.  The  earth  was  liter- 
ally swept  clean  of  fences,  out-buildings,  and  almost  of  buildings, 
but  was  covered  with  shingles,  boards,  rails,  and  timbers.  Frank- 
lin P.  Offield  had  just  received  and  opened  a  large  stock  of  goods 
in  a  new  building  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Cole  streets,  oppo- 
site Piper's  Factory.  This  house  was  demolished,  and  the  goods 
scattered  over  the  prairie  clear  away  to  Duck  Creek.  Cattel 
were  killed  and  lying  about  in  all  directions.  Chickens  were 
blown  away  and  killed,  and  the  few  standing  houses  were  literally 
wrecked,  moved  from  their  foundations,  unroofed,  or  with  gables 
knocked  in.  The  great  wonder  is  that  no  more  lives  were  lost. 
Out  of  a  population  approximating  five  hundred,  only  four  per- 
sons were  killed  in  town  —  Isaac  Swan  and  his  infant  son,  Elias 
Foster  and  his  daughter.  In  the  country  near  Mrs.  Gould  was 
added  to  the  list,  making  five  victims  of  the  air-fiend's  wrath. 
The  destruction  of  property  and  life  that  would  ensue  were  such 
a  storm  to  sweep  over  the  country  now  would  be  absolutely  ap- 
palling. Then  the  country  was  sparsely  settled,  and  of  course 
the  destruction  was  not  so  great  as  it  would  be  now.  The  track 
of  the  storm  was  about  one  mile  in  width,  extending  from  the 
residence  of  John  Coleman  on  the  north  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
Central  School-House  on  the  south.  The  marks  of  the  storm 
were  distinctly  visible  in  the  timber  west  of  town  until  in  recent 
years,  since  the  timber  affected  has  been  cleared  up. 


94  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


REMARKABLE  CHANGE  OF  TEMPERATURE. 

ON  the  17th  day  of  December,  1836,  there  occurred  a  change 
of  temperature  so  sudden  and  so  remarkable  that  it  is  still  spoken 
of  among  the  old  settlers.  The  day  had  been  wet  and  sloppy,  a 
previous  snow  was  melting,  and  a  drizzling  rain  had  been  falling. 
Men  were  moving  about,  between  the  intervals  of  rain,  in  their 
shirt-sleeves.  Suddenly,  at  about  two  o'clock,  the  wind  veered 
around  to  the  northwest  and  blew  almost  a  hurricane.  In  a  mo- 
ment ice  began  to  form,  and  formed  so  rapidly  that  the  surface- 
water  was  frozen  in  ripples  and  waves  as  the  wind  left  it.  Chick- 
ens were  frozen  to  death  before  they  could  reach  shelter.  Cattle 
had  their  hoofs  and  horns  come  off.  Men  who  were  out  from 
home  suffered  terribly,  and  in  many  cases  were  frozen  to  death. 
One  of  the  Messrs.  Wolf,  on  his  way  to  Canton,  was  within  two 
miles  of  town,  when  he  got  into  a  slough  and  was  wet  to  the 
middle.  In  a  few  moments  the  change  struck  him.  He  put  his 
horse  to  its  full  speed  and  rode  across  the  prairie  to  Isaac  Shinn's 
place,  just  east  of  town.  On  reaching  Shinn's  he  was  so  nearly 
frozen  that  he  had  to  be  lifted  from  his  horse  and  carried  into  the 
house.  To  repeat  all  the  stories  current  of  this  change  would 
subject  one  to  the  reputation  of  a  Munchausen.  That  the  change 
was  noteworthy  to  a  remarkable  degree  there  can  be  no  doubt. 


SEBREE'S  TAVERK 

JAMES  SEBREE  opened  the  second  tavern  in  Canton,  some  time 
in  the  year  1833.  This  was  located  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
Wood  and  Cole  streets,  opposite  Dr.  McDowell's  present  resi- 
dence. Sebree — -or  "Old  Boon,"  as  he  was  familiarly  called  — 
catered  to  the  public  corporal  needs  until  in  1837,  when,  tired  of 
hotel-keeping,  he  rented  to  Thomas  J.  Little,  who  united  for  one 
year  the  practice  of  law  and  the  business  of  a  Boniface.  Little 
gave  place  to  a  Mr.  Stephens,  who  also  gave  it  up  after  about  one 
year's  occupation.  A  Mr.  Gait  was  the  next  proprietor,  and  held 
possession  for  three  or  four  years.  Gait's  successor  was  James 
Thompson,  who  ran  the  house  quite  acceptably  to  the  traveling 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  95 

public  for  some  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Peter  C.  Schenk, 
who  soon  gave  place  to  Joseph  Hebb;  and  Joseph,  after  a  short 
occupancy,  sold  out  to  James  Scott,  who  continued  in  possession 
until  the  summer  of  1862,  when  he  sold  the  property  to  Dr.  A. 
Bell,  who  removed  the  old  building,  separating  it,  and  from  its 
various  additions  making  several  buildings. 

Sebree's  Tavern  was  at  one  time  the  stage-stand,  and  was  well 
known  over  the  whole  Military  Tract. 


A  TRAINING-DAY  IN  1830. 

HARRISON  P.  FELLOWS,  Esq.,  gives  the  following  graphic  ac- 
count of  the  first  training  he  witnessed  in  Illinois :  This  training, 
or  "  muster,"  as  our  pioneers  used  to  call  it,  was  held  on  the 
prairie  in  front  of  the  cabin  of  John  Holcomb,  now  known  as  the 
Hyatt  place,  in  Putman  township.  Holcomb  had  a  barrel  of 
whisky,  which  may  have  been  the  reason  for  the  selection  of  his 
house  as  the  military  headquarters  on  this  occasion.  But  let  Mr. 
Fellows  tell  his  own  story. 

"It  was  in  the  summer  of  1830 — we  had  just  moved  to  the 
country,  and  my  father,  Hiram  Fellows,  had  rented  part  of  Cap- 
tain Haacke's  house.  I  soon  found  out,  in  some  way,  that  Haacke 
was  a  captain  of  a  militia  company,  and  as  I  had  some  knowledge 
of  militia  captains  in  New  York,  where  we  came  from,  I  was  filled 
with  an  intense  awe  of  the  captain.  One  day  I  mustered  up 
courage  to  ask  him  if  I  might  see  them  muster  some  time,  and  re- 
ceived a  kind  and  cordial  invitation  to  accompany  him  to  the  next 
training.  I  was  in  ecstacies,  and  looked  forward  with  great  anx- 
iety to  the  expected  day.  It  came  at  last,  and  the  captain  noti- 
fied me  to  be  ready  by  the  time  he  was.  I  ran  into  our  part  of 
the  house,  and,  I  tell  you,  it  was  but  a  short  job  for  me  to  wash, 
change  my  shirt,  comb  my  hair,  and  make  my  appearance  in  the 
front  yard  to  await  the  coming  of  the  captain  and  his  regimentals. 
I  did  not  venture  to  go  into  Haacke's  part  of  the  house ;  but  tim- 
idly peeped  through  a  crack  in  the  door  to  get  a  sight  at  the  gor- 
geous trappings  with  which,  I  had  no  doubt,  he  would  be  array- 
ing himself.  It  is  said  that  great  men  never  appear  well  at  their 
toilet,  and  I  must  have  verified  the  observation,  as  I  remember 


96  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

going  back  to  mother  and  telling  her  I  guessed  Captain  Haacke 
was  not  much  of  a  captain,  after  all ;  any  how,  he  did  not  dress 
up  like  one. 

"In  due  time  the  captain  presented  himself  in  readiness  for  the 
parade-ground.  Let  me  try  to  describe  his  dress.  On  his  head 
he  wore'  a  hat  of  home-braided  wheat  straw,  the  braid  was 
notched,  and  the  crown  round.  There  was  a  band  around  it  of 
red  calico,  with  loose  ends  several  inches  in  length  floating  in  the 
breeze.  His  coat  was  made  of  homespun  blue  jeans,  cut  long  in 
the  skirts  —  so  long,  indeed,  I  fancied  that  he  was  in  danger  of 
throwing  himself,  by  stepping  on  his  own  coat-tails.  This  coat 
was  closely  buttoned  before  with  old-fashioned  brass  buttons, 
placed  at  intervals  of  perhaps  two  inches  apart.  The  collar  was 
short,  stiff,  and  standing,  the  upper  edge  resting  under  his  broad, 
hearty  jaws,  thus  keeping  his  head  proudly  erect.  His  panta- 
loons were  of  the  same  homespun  material,  cut  very  wide  in  the 
legs,  and  correspondingly  short.  He  wore  no  socks,  and  I 
noticed  that  his  pantaloons  and  'stogas'  did  not  break  joints  by 
about  six  inches.  The  'stogas'  aforesaid  were  his  crowning 
glory.  They  were  built  of  cow-hide,  very  wide  in  the  heels,  very 
broad  in  the  toes,  and  of  considerable  length.  They  were  tied 
with  buckskin  whangs,  while  the  huge  counters  were  sewed 
to  the  quarters  with  other  whangs,  perhaps  from  the  same  de- 
funct deer.  It  had  rained  the  day  previous,  and  the  shoes  had 
become  covered  to  a  considerable  depth  with  clay ;  they  had  then 
been  dried  in  the  sun,  until  their  deep  wrinkles  were  hard  as  bone. 
Mrs.  Haacke  had,  that  morning,  undertaken  the  task  of  cleaning 
and  greasing  them.  I  can  not  say  that  her  efforts  had  been  en- 
tirely successful,  as  particles  of  yellow  clay  were  interspersed 
with  flakes  of  unmelted  hog's  lard,  over  their  broad  surface. 

"  The  captain  held  in  his  hand  a  formidable-looking  sword,  en- 
cased in  a  leathern  scabbard.  I  noticed  hair  on  the  hilt,  and,  as 
at  that  time  I  was  not  so  familiar  with  natural  history  as  I  have 
since  become,  I  could  not  tell  whether  it  was  human  hair  or  hog- 
bristles.  The  discovery  filled  me  with  a  due  appreciation  of  the 
captain's  ferocity ;  so  much  so,  indeed,  that  I  followed  him  with 
some  misgivings,  and  at  .a  respectful  distance ;  when  he  would 
look  back  over  his  shoulder  to  see  if  I  was  keeping  up,  I  would 
stop  and  tremble,  until  his  face  was  turned  in  a  forward  direction 
again. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  97 

"  On  our  arrival  at  Holcomb's,  we  found  the  company  waiting 
for  the  captain.  Pie  strode  into  the  house  '  with  all  the  pomp  and 
circumstance  of  glorious  warfare,'  and  I  could  see  that  by  his 
bearing  he  was  making  an  impression  upon  his  subordinates  that 
must  be  conducive  to  good  discipline.  I  ventured  to  peep  into 
the  cabin,  to  get  a  glimpse  of  Captain  Haacke's  Staff,  and  noticed 
that  he  was  the  best  dressed,  and  by  no  means  the  worst  looking, 
of  the  party. 

"The  captain  now  ordered  Orderly-Sergeant  Seth  Hilton  to 
muster  the  company  and  call  the  roll.  This  order  was  obeyed 
with  due  formality,  and  so  reported,  when  the  captain  made  his 
appearance  before  his  men.  I  noticed  at  the  time  that  he  had 
buckled  on  his  sword.  The  sword-belt  was  a  strip  of  raw  calf- 
skin, perhaps  two  inches  in  width,  with  the  hair  on,  hair-side  out. 
The  buckle  was  of  iron,  of  the  width  of  the  strap,  and  had,  I  had 
no  doubt,  been  taken  off  some  cow-bell  strap ;  to  this  belt  the  sword 
was  attached  by  a  buckskin  whang.  The  scabbard  hung  loose, 
and,  to  prevent  its  getting  tangled  among  his  legs,  he  had  grasped 
its  lower  third  in  his  left  hand,  while  the  right  held  the  hilt.  The 
captain  stood  for  one  moment  in  front  of  his  company  in  dignified 
silence :  looking  slowly  up  and  down  the  living  line,  he  raised  his 
voice  to  a  tone  of  command,  and  shouted,  'Company,  Halt!' 
This  order  was  obeyed.  The  next  order  was  given  in  a  lower 
tone  to  the  Orderly,  and  was :  '  Seth,  I  reckon  the  boys,  are  a  git- 
tin'  dry ;  you  come  in  with  me  and  we.'ll  see  what  can  be  done.' 
The  captain  now  disappeared  into  the  house,  followed  by  Hilton. 
They  soon  reappeared,  Hilton  bearing  in  his  hands  an  old-fashioned 
wooden-handled  'piggin,'  which  held  perhaps  a  gallon  and  a 
half  of  Holcomb's  whisky.  Hilton  was  ordered  to  commence  at 
the  head  of  the  line  and  pass  the  'piggin,'  which  contained,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  fluid  courage,  three  small  gourds  as  drinking-cups. 
'Officers,  don't  you  drink  out  of  the  'piggin,"  shouted  Haacke. 
'You  come  this  way:  I'll  'tend  to  you.'  The  officers  seemed  to 
manifest  no  disposition  toward  insubordination,  but  followed  their 
commander  to  the  rear  of  a  corn-crib,  when  he  proceeded  to  un- 
button his  coat  and  draw,  from  an  inside  pocket,  a  gourd  that 
would  hold  perhaps  a  quart ;  this  gourd  was  bottle-shaped,  with 
the  end  of  the  neck  cut  off  smooth,  and  a  corn-cob  stopper. 
'Here,  boys,  don't  you  see  I've  got  a  little  something  nice  for  us 
officers, —  Oh,  my  stomach!'  said  the  captain,  as  he  handed  it 
13 


98 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


around,  to  the  evident  satisfaction  of  the  heroic  band  who  sur- 
rounded him. 

"After  this  performance  had  concluded,  the  serious  work  of  drill 
commenced,  and  I  soon  saw  that  Captain  Haacke  was  quite  pro- 
ficient in  tactics.  At  one  time  during  the  day,  the  captain's  shoes 
began  to  hurt  his  feet,  and  he  ordered  the  company  to  'Hold  on, 
boys,  till  I  get  off  these  c d  shoes.' 

"During  the  day,  Captain  Saunders  brought  his  company  on 
the  ground  from  his  house,  several  miles  further  down  the  Lewis- 
town  road.  He  said  they  had  run  out  of  whisky  at  his  house,  and 
hearing  Holcomb  had  a  barrel,  had  concluded  it  would  be  best 
'just  to  march  the  boys  up,  you  see, —  Oh,  my  stomach!'" 


FIRST  INCORPORATION. 

CANTOX  became  an  incorporated  town  for  the  first  time  on  the 
10th  day  of  February,  1837,  as  appears  by  the  following  record, 
still  preserved  among  the  archives  of  the  city. 

[COPY.] 

At  a  meeting  of  the  citizens  of  Canton,  held  at  the  Presbyterian  Church 
in  said  town,  pursuant  to  legal  notice,  for  the  purpose  of  incorporating  said 
Town  of  Canton,  on  the  10th  day  of  February,  1837,  David  Markley,  Esq., 
was  chosen  President,  and  Joel  Wright,  Esq.,  clerk  of  said  meeting,  who 

were  sworn  into  office  according  to  the  statute 

[Here  follows  the  oath  of  each  of  the  Esquires,  with  their  signatures.] 
After  which  the  meeting  was  called  to  order  by  the  President,  and  the 
following-named  persons,  citizens  of  (Canton)  said  town,  voted  as  follows, 
to  wit : 


VOTERS'    NAMES. 


Thompson  Maple 

Samuel  W.  Patterson. . . 

Alexander  Hudson 

Phillip  Grim 

Thomas  Boswell. . 


FOE  AGAINST 
.  1 
1 
1 
1 
1 


George  "W.  Dewey 1 

Elliott  Chase 1 

Milton  Dewey 1 

Joseph  W.  Kelso 1 

Horace  F.  Mitchell 1 

Isaac  P.  Fellows 

Alexander  McPheters...  1 


VOTERS'    NAMES.                            I 

•OB  AGAIXST 

James  C.  Willis  

1 

James  P.  Stewart  

1 

Lathrop  W.  Curtis  

1 

James  McPheters  

1 

Thomas  J.  Little  

1 

Isaac  P.  Taylor  

1 

Lewis  Biderman  

1 

William  B.  Cogswell  

1 

Joel  Coykendall  

1 

Harrison  P.  Fellows  

1 

Robert  McPheters  

1 

James  Hood  

1 

CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


99 


VOTERS'   NAMES. 

Joseph  Guyer  

FOR  AGAINST 

..  1 

VOTERS'  NAMES. 

Isaiah  Stillman  

FOR  AGAINST 
...     1 

Tapley  Willson  

1 

Geo.  J.  McConnell.  .  . 

1 

William  Blair  

..  1 

1 

..  1 

John  Smith 

.        1 

John  McPheters  

..  1 

Phillip  Grim  

...     1 

Eliud  Israel  

1 

Samuel  G  Wright 

1 

Robert  Sebree  

..  1 

Samuel  F   BoUn^ar. 

...    1 

James  Sebree  

..  1 

Printis  Pond  

...     1 

Robert  C.  Culton  

..  1 

Robert  L.  Cook  

...     1 

William  Williamson  .  .  . 

..  1 

Edwin  H   Hood         . 

...     1 

John  J.  Culton  

.  1 

Joel  Wright  

...     1 

Total  vote  For  Incorporating 
Total  vote  Against  Incoroora 

.  .  40 

tine;.  .  , 

6 

The  total  number  of  votes  cast  upon  this  proposition  being 
forty-six.  On  the  election  for  aldermen,  which  followed  imme- 
diately, only  thirty -two  votes  were  cast.  Among  those,  however, 
were  the  following  names,  not  recorded  on  the  question  of  incor- 
poration: Frederick  Mennert,  A.  J.  Barber,  Bryant  L.  Cook, 
George  M.  Gould,  John  Thorp,  D.  Coykendall,  and  J.  Donaldson. 

The  candidates  for  aldermen,  or  trustees,  as  they  were  called, 
were  —  David  Markley,  who  received  31  votes;  Lathrop  W. 
Curtis,  who  received  14  votes;  Thomas  J.  Little,  22  votes;  Wm. 
B.  Cogswell,  24  votes;  Franklin  P.  Offield,  22  votes;  Joel 
"Wright,  29  votes;  James  "W.  Willis,  2  votes;  Isaiah  Stillman,  3 
votes;  A.  J.  Barber,  4  votes;  James  McPheters,  1  vote;  Chester 
Williams,  1  vote;  James  Sebree,  2  votes;  and  Isaac  P.  Taylor, 
3  votes.  The  five  highest  on  this  list — David  Markley,  Joel 
Wright,  Thos.  J.  Little,  Wm.  B.  Cogswell,  and  Franklin  P. 
Offield,  were  declared  duly  elected,  and  were  qualified  accord- 
ingly- 

The  first  meeting  of  the  new  board  was  held  on  the  27th  day 
of  March,  1837,  as  the  records  have  it,  "at  Frederic  Mennert's 
Inn."  At  this  meeting  David  Markley  was  chosen  President  of 
the  board,  and  Thomas  J.  Little  Clerk.  George  W.  Gould  was 
by  the  board  elected  Treasurer,  and  required  to  give  a  bond  of 
one  thousand  dollars  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his  duties. 
John  Thorp  was  appointed  both  Constable  and  Collector,  "  and," 
says  the  ordinance,  "shall  give  bail  for  both  offices  for  the  sum  of 
one  thousand  dollars."  Lathrop  W.  Curtis  was  "appointed  Su- 
pervisor of  Highways  for  the  Town  of  Canton,  and  to  be  en- 
titled to  the  sum  of  two  dollars  for  every  day  spent  in  that  ca- 


100  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

pacity  after  the  third."  Nathan  Jones,  Lathrop  W.  Curtis  and 
Isaiah  Stillman  were  appointed  Assessors,  and  their  pay  fixed  at 
one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  per  day  for  every  day  employed. 

Under"  the  by-laws  adopted  by  this  board,  revenue  was  to  be 
raised  by  a  tax  on  all  real  estate  within  the  boundaries  of  the 
town,  which,  it  was  provided,  should  be  assessed  at  its  true 
value,  and  upon  the  assessment  "  an  ad-valorem  tax  of  not  ex- 
ceeding fifty  cents  on  every  one  hundred  dollars  should  be 
levied  by  the  President  and  Trustees  annually." 

Section  36  of  the  ordinances  provided  that  "  any  person  who 
shall  on  the  Sabbath  day  play  at  bandy,  cricket,  cat,  town-ball, 
corner-ball,  over-ball,  fives,  or  any  other  game  of  ball,  within  the 
limits  of  the  corporation,  or  shall  engage  in  pitching  dollars  or 
quarters,  or  any  other  game,  in  any  public  place,  shall,  on  convic- 
tion thereof,  be  fined  the  sum  of  one  dollar.  • 

The  boundaries  of  the  incorporation  were  defined  as  follows : 
"  Commencing  eighty  rods  west  from  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
northeast  quarter  of  section  27,  township  No.  7  north,  of  range 
4  east  of  the  fourth  principal  meridian ;  thence  south  three  hund- 
red and  twenty  rods;  thence  east  three  hundred  and  twenty 
rods;  thence  north  three  hundred  and  twenty  rods;  thence  west 
three  hundred  and  twenty  rods,  to  the  place  of  beginning;  con- 
taining and  comprehending  the  east  half  and  the  east  half  of  the 
west  half  of  section  twenty-seven,  and  the  west  half  of  the  west 
half  of  section  twenty-six. 

At  the  second  annual  election  under  this  incorporation,  the 
names  of  but  twenty-one  voters  are  recorded,  among  whom  are 
E.  Boice,  Abel  A.  Stevens,  John  W.  Shinn,  E.  Rockhold,  James 
H.  Stipp,  I.  P.  Strong,  and  E.  H.  Fitch,  who  did  not  vote  at  the 
first  election.  The  candidates  for  trustees,  with  their  votes,  were 
as  follows :  David  Markley,  17  votes ;  Thomas  J.  Little,  18  votes ; 
Lathrop  W.  Curtis,  20  votes;  George  W.  Gould,  12  votes;  J.  R. 
Walters,  13;  Joel  Wright,  5;  Joel  Coykendall,  10;  Lewis  Bida- 
mon,  3 ;  Isaac  P.  Taylor,  1 ;  Franklin  P.  Offield,  2 ;  and  John 
Smith,  1 ;  —  making  David  Markley,  Thos.  J.  Little,  L.  W.  Curtis, 
George  W.  Gould  and  J.  R.  Walters  the  board.  David  Markley 
was  reflected  President  of  the  board,  and  Lathrop  W.  Curtis 
Clerk.  John  Whitten  was  appointed  Constable  and  Collector, 
Joel  Coykendall  Supervisor,  and  required  to  give  a  bond  in  the 
sum  of  five  hundred  dollars  for  the  faithful  performance  of  his 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEEKS  AND  HISTORY.  101 

duties.  Thompson  Maple  was  appointed  Treasurer,  and  Wm.  B. 
Cogswell,  Franklin  P.  Offield  and  Joel  Wright  Assessors.  It 
was  also  ordered  that  a  committee  be  appointed  to  select  certain 
sections  from  the  by-laws  which  were  to  be  printed  in  the  Canton 
Herald. 

At  the  council  meeting  held  August  13th,  an  ordinance  was 
adopted  prohibiting  the  running  at  large  of  swine  within  the  cor- 
porate limits,  "  except  so  much  as  lies  north  of  the  north  line  of 
Commercial  street  in  Little's  Addition  to  the  Town  of  Canton." 
At  the  next  meeting  of  the  board  James  Sebree  presented  a  re- 
monstrance against  this  ordinance;  but,  as  the  petitioners  for  the 
law  were  in  the  majority  by  thirteen  names,  it  was  sustained. 
At  this  meeting  Messrs.  Stone  &  Offield  were  allowed  their  bill 
of  $12.00  for  printing  the  hog  laws. 

At  the  meeting  of  September  10th,  1838,  B.  G.  Roe,  for  build- 
ing a  bridge  on  Wood  street  between  Illinois  and  Cole  streets, 
presented  his  bill  for  $11.75;  but  it  was  not  allowed,  "it  not  hav- 
ing been  built  according  to  contract." 

At  the  election  held  February  20th,  1830;  there  were  38  votes 
polled.  The  poll-list  contained  the  names  of  Hiram  Snow,  Milton 
C.  Dewey,  Thompson  Maple,  Joel  Coykendall,  John  Smith,  Ben. 
G.  Roe,  Frederick  Bidamon,  John  Thorp,  E.  D.  Davidson,  Elliott 
Chase,  Albert  Squires,  B.  Loomis,  Wells  Tyler,  Wm.  B.  Cogs- 
well, James  R.  Parker,  John  G.  Piper,  James  McPheeters,  Otis 
Remington,  Peter  L.  Snyder,  John  Ballard,  L.  S.  Williamson, 
James  Perry,  James  Ellis,  Phillip  Grim,  Daniel  II.  Dewey, 
George  McConnell,  J.  L.  Davis,  P.  Stone,  A.  Piper,  J.  W.  Whit- 
ing, David  M.  Smith,  Tapley  Willson,  Nathan  B.  Scott,  Cyrus 
Coykendall.  Irwin  H.  Whitaker,  David  Markley,  George  W. 
Gould,  John  W.  Shinn.  The  candidates  for  trustees  were  Tim- 
othy Norris,  who  received  16  votes;  George  W.  Gould,  19  votes; 
John  W.  Shinn  26;  Augustus  L.  Davidson,  30  votes;  Milton  C. 
Dewey,  16;  Thos.  J.  Little,  10  votes;  David  Markley,  no  votes 
—  although  his  name  appears  on  the  poll-book;  Alexander  Mc- 
Pheeters, 18;  George  McConnell,  12;  John  Thorp,  3  votes;  P. 
Stone,  14  votes;  John  Smith,  17  votes;  L.  H.  Sovereign,  9  votes. 
Messrs.  Augustus  L.  Davidson,  John  W.  Shinn,  George  W. 
Gould,  Alexander  McPheeters  and  John  Smith  were,  by  this 
vote,  elected  and  duly  qualified.  This  board  elected  as  its  Presi- 
dent A.  L.  Davidson,  John  W.  Shinn  Secretary,  James  McPhee- 


102  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

ters  and  John  G.  Piper  Assessors.     John  Thorp  was  reappointed 
Constable  and  Collector. 

At  the  second  meeting  of  this  board,  on  the  5th  day  of  April, 
1839,  "a  petition  was  presented,  signed  by  93  legal  voters  of  the 
Town  of  Canton,  praying  that  the  trustees  of  said  town  shall  not 
grant  license  to  any  grocery  in  the  said  Town  of  Canton."  This 
petition  was  referred  to  a  special  committee,  consisting  of  Messrs. 
Davidson,  Gould,  and  Smith,  who  at  the  next  meeting  of  the 
board  were  to  report.  At  the  next  meeting  the  subject  was 
called  up  and  postponed  until  the  next  meeting;  but  it  does  not 
appear  to  have  been  acted  upon  at  all,  and,  as  there  were  but  two 
more  meetings  of  the  board  ever  held,  it  may  be  presumed  that 
this  question  ^tvas  one  of  the  causes  of  the  premature  death  of 
Canton's  first  incorporation.  One  of  the  last  acts  of  this  board 
was  the  passage  of  the  following  resolution :  "  Moved  that  the 
President  of  the  board  be  requested  to  examine  the  records  at 
Lewistown,  and  ascertain  if  there  is  a  street  or  alley  on  the  north 
side  of  the  old  Town  of  Canton,  and  if  the  town  is  placed  in  the 
situation  which  the  original  proprietor  intended  it  should  be." 
The  last  act  of  the  trustees  was  the  appointment  of  James  R. 
Parker  as  Constable  for  the  corporation.  This  was  done  at  a 
special  meeting  of  the  board,  held  June  1st,  1839;  and  here  its 
record  closes. 


SECOND  INCORPORATION  OF  CANTON. 

THE  second  incorporation  of  Canton  was  made  at  a  meeting 
called  in  pursuance  of  law  at  the  Congregational  Church,  on  the 
21st  day  of  February,  1848.  At  this  meeting  Henry  Walker  was 
Chairman  and  H.  F.  Ingersoll  Clerk.  At  this  meeting  an  elec- 
tion was  held  for  the  purpose  of  deciding  whether  the  citizens  of 
the  village  were  desirous  of  being  incorporated,  whereat  one  hund- 
red and  twenty  votes  were  cast  in  favor  of  incorporation,  and 
forty-two  votes  against  the  proposition. 

On  the  1st  of  March,  1848,  an  election  for  town  officers  under 
this  incorporation  was  held,  at  which  William  Parlin,  William 
Kellogg,  George  S.  McConnell,  James  Wills,  and  John  G.  Piper, 
were  elected  trustees. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  103 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Town  Board  of  Trustees  was  held  on 
the  second  of  March,  and  the  members  of  the  board  were  sworn 
into  office  by  James  R.  Parker,  Justice  of  the  Peace.  The  board 
then  proceeded  to  the  election  of  its  officers,  electing  George  S. 
McConnell  President,  and  Henry  F.  Ingersoll  Clerk. 

The  bounds  of  the  incorporation  were  fixed  as  follows :  Com- 
mencing at  the  centre  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  twenty- 
seven,  township  seven  north,  range  four  east  of  the  fourth  princi- 
pal meridian ;  thence  east,  through  the  centre  of  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  twenty-seven,  to  the  centre  of  the  northwest 
of  section  twenty-six;  thence  south,  through  the  centre  of  the 
southwest  (quarter)  of  section  twenty-six,  to  the  centre  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  section  thirty-five;  thence  west,  through 
the  centre  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  thirty -four,  to  the 
centre  of  the  northwest,  quarter  of  section  thirty-four;  thence 
north,  through  the  centre  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
twenty-seven,  to  the  place  of  beginning. 

The  clerk  was  instructed  to  transmit  to  the  county  commission- 
ers' court  the  ordinance  establishing  the  boundaries  of  the  town, 
and  the  work  of  organization  was  thus  made  complete. 

Wm.  Kellogg  was,  by  the  board,  appointed  to  draft  a  code  of 
laws  for  the  government  of  the  town,  at  the  second  meeting,  held 
March  3d,  of  the  board.  Mr.  Kellogg  made  his  report,  in  the 
shape  of  a  full  code  of  laws,  on  the  27th  of  March,  which  was 
adopted. 

On  the  14th  of  April,  Henry  F.  Ingersoll  was  elected  Treas- 
urer, James  R.  Parker  Assessor,  and  Harrison  P.  Fellows  Con- 
stable and  Collector;  and  Ephraim  Boice,  on  the  payment  of 
$3.00  into  the  treasury,  was  granted  a  license  to  exhibit  a  buffalo. 
Whether  or  not  Ephraim  got  back  his  money  in  profits  from  his 
exhibition  is  not  recorded.  Mr.  Parker  failed  to  qualify,  from 
some  cause,  and  at  the  next  meeting  Peter  L.  Snyder  was  ap- 
pointed in  his  place. 

On  the  8th  of  June  the  board  granted  a  license  to  James  C. 
Wilson  and  Edward  Slason  to  keep  a  grocery  in  Canton,  charg- 
ing them  a  license-fee  of  $25.00,  and  exacting  a  bond  in  $500  that 
they  should  keep  an  orderly  house. 

In  July  Mr.  Ingersoll  resigned  as  Clerk,  and  Wm.  H.  Gillaspie 
was  appointed  in  his  stead. 

The  laws  of  this  incoporation  were,  by  order,  published,  and 


104  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Charles  J.  Sellon,  on  the  9th  of  October,  1848,  was  allowed  $10 
for  the  same.  The  board  at  the  same  session  voted  themselves 
$3  for  their  services. 

On  the  13th  of  November,  1848,  Albert  Emory  was  granted 
license  to  keep  a  grocery  in  Canton. 

The  legislature  having  granted  a  charter  to  the  town,  an  elec- 
tion was  held  on  the  27th  of  February,  1849,  at  the  store  of  Job 
Shinn,  on  the  question  of  the  acceptance  or  rejection  of  this  char- 
ter, and  at  that  election  one  hundred  and  fifty-six  votes  were  cast 
for  the  adoption  of  the  charter,  and  nine  votes  against  adoption. 
.  On  the  29th  of  February,  1847,  the  board  divided  the  town  in- 
to four  wards  for  voting  purposes.  Under  the  charter  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  board  and  four  Aldermen  were  to  be  elected  by  the 
people :  before  the  President  was  elected  by  the  board. 

The  first  election  held  under  the  charter,  on  the  28th  of  April, 
1849,  resulted  in  the  election  of  Davis  Ferguson  as  President; 
Wm.  Thompson,  Alderman  from  the  First  Ward ;  N.  H.  Turner, 
Alderman  from  the  Second  Ward ;  Wm.  Parlin,  Alderman  from 
the  Third  Ward;  and  J.  B.  Hinman,  for  the  Fourth  Ward. 
Christian  Hains  was  elected  Supervisor,  Harrison  P.  Fellows  Con- 
stable. The  new  board  elected  Lewis  Corbin  Clerk. 

June  5th,  1849,  the  board  voted  not  to  grant  a  license  to  J.  T. 
Mallory  to  keep  a  grocery.  Mr.  Mallory  renewed  his  application 
at  the  next  meeting,  and  was  again  refused. 

On  the  18th  of  July,  1849,  the  council,  in  view  of  the  prev- 
alence of  Asiatic  cholera  in  the  town,  ordered  Wm.  Parlin  and 
Wm.  Thompson  to  purchase  and  distribute  one  hundred  barrels 
of  lime  for  the  purpose  of  disinfection. 

October  6th,  1849,  the  council  granted  Henry  Eakins  a  license 
to  keep  a  ten-pin  alley. 

At  the  election  held  April  2d,  1850,  Lewis  Corbin,  the  former 
City  Clerk,  was  elected  President  of  the  Board,  Christian  Hains 
Supervisor,  Thos.  L.  Ewing  Constable.  The  Aldermen  were 
Wm.  Thompson,  First  Ward;  James  H.  Murphy,  Second  Ward; 
Hugh  Martin,  Third  Ward;  and  Daniel  H.  Devvey,  in  the  Fourth 
Ward.  The  President  of  the  Board  was  this  year  allowed  a 
salary  of  twenty-five  dollars.  Daniel  H.  Dewey  was  appointed 
Clerk  pro  tempore  of  this  board  at  its  first  meeting,  and  Job  Shinn 
was  appointed  Assessor.  The  permanent  Clerk  was  afterward 
Geo.  S.  Hill. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  105 

Mr.  Eakins  applied  to  this  board,  November  22d,  1850,  for  a 
renewal  of  his  ball-alley  license,  but  the  application  was  re- 
jected. Mr.  T.  J.  Mallory  also  asked  for  license,  but  was  refused. 

The  places  for  holding  elections  fixed  by  this  board  were  —  in 
the  First  Ward,  at  D.  M.  Smith's  tailor  shop ;  Second  Ward,  at 
Alvah  Piper's  carpenter  shop ;  Third  Ward,  at  Lewis  Corbin's 
book-store ;  Fourth  Ward,  at  D.  H.  Dewey's  shop.  . 

Thos.  Ewing,  ex  officio  collector,  returned  that  he  had  collected 
$295.20  and  there  was  due  but  not  collected  $3.35. 

This  council  took  the  first  energetic  steps  toward  the  building 
of  sidewalks,  by  ordering  the  building  of  twelve-foot  sidewalks 
around  the  Public  Square.  On  streets  running  back  from  the 
Square  owners  were  required  to  build  sidewalks  eight  feet  wide, 
of  brick,  plank,  gravel,  cinders,  or  other  durable  material,  to  a 
distance  of  about  one  .block  from  the  Public  Square. 

This  board  also  appointed  four  police-officers  —  one  for  each 
ward, —  and  defined  their  duties.  These  officers  were  only  called 
upon  to  act  in  riots,  cases  of  emergency,  or  under  special  orders 
from  the  Mayor,  but  were  authorized  to  make  arrests  of  any  per- 
sons violating  the  town  ordinances. 

At  the  spring  election,  April,  1851,  John  W.  Shinn  was  elected 
President;  Samuel  M.  Rowe,  Constable;  John  Thorp,  Supervisor; 
Joseph  C.  Williams,  Alderman  First  Ward ;  Thos.  J.  Little,  Al- 
derman Second  Ward;  Lewis  Corbin,  Alderman  Third  Ward; 
Peter  L.  Snyder,  Alderman  Fourth  Ward.  The  police-officers 
appointed  were — First  Ward,  Henry  Doty;  Second  Ward, 
Atharin  Keeling;  Third  Ward,  Orville  Jones;  Fourth  Ward, 
Alonzo  Barnes.  Mr.  Suyder  resigning  as  Alderman  in  the  Fourth 
Ward,  a  special  election  was  held  May  12th,  and  Philip  Grim, 
jr.,  elected  over  Dr.  James  Melrose  as  Alderman. 

In  1850  E.  R.  Peck  had  petitioned  for  the  opening  of  Adelphi 
street,  but  his  prayer  was  refused.  Now  came  Amos  C.  Babcock 
et  al.,  praying  that  Adelphi  street  might  be  opened  and  made  a 
two-rod  street.  To  this  petition  Mr.  E.  R.  Peck  remonstrated, 
and  with  success.  Mr.  Babcock  also  asked  for  a  resurvey  of  the 
town,  and  the  board  by  resolution  granted  the  prayer. 

This  council  appointed  a  new  police  force  June  llth,  consisting 
of  Franklin  Moyer,  Jacob  M.  Hill,  Wm.  H.  Haskell,  T.  N.  Ham- 
ilton, Peter  L.  Snyder,  and  Wm.  Sexton. 

Philip  Grim,  jr.,  Alderman  from  the  Fourth  Ward,  died  in 
14 


106  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEEKS  AND  HISTORY. 

office  on  the  22d  of  August,  and  a  special  election  was  held  to  fill 
the  vacancy  in  September.  At  this  election  the  opposing  candi- 
dates were  Mr.  D.  H.  Dewey  on  one  side,  and  Mr.  Andrew  Wills. 
Mr.  Wills  only  lacked  two  votes  of  being  elected,  although  Mr. 
Dewey  beat  him  three  to  one,  being  elected  by  receiving  three- 
fourths  of  all  the  votes  cast. 

October  29th,  1851,  a  petition  was  received  signed  by  Jno.  W. 
Ingersoll  as  committee  for  the  Directors  of  "  Canton  &  Liverpool 
Plank-Road  Company,"  asking  right  of  way  to  the  Public  Square 
for  their  road,  which  was  granted. 

Mr.  Jno.  W.  Ingersoll  had  been  by  a  previous  council  ap- 
pointed City  Engineer  to  establish  the  grade  for  the  sidewalks, 
and  at  this  meeting  resigned. 

Mr.  Hill  resigning  his  position  as  Clerk  of  the  Board,  A.  R. 
Haynes  was  appointed  to  the  vacancy,  on  the  2d  of  December. 

At  the  spring  election,  held  April  5th,  1852,  John  W.  Shinn 
was  again  elected  President;  Christian  Hains,  Supervisor;  Darius 
Roberts,  Constable.  The  Aldermen  were — from  the  First  Ward, 
Parley  C.  Stearns;  Second  Ward,  James  Thompson;  Third 
Ward,  Lewis  Corbin ;  Fourth  Ward,  James  Wills. 

The  total  amount  of  tax  accounted  for  for  the  year  1851  was 
$551.64,  with  a  deficit  between  collections  and  assessment  of 
$13.26. 

In  the  spring  of  1853,  Henry  Walker  was  elected  President  of 
the  Board ;  Henry  T.  Meyers,  Alderman  for  the  First  Ward ; 
Hugh  Martin,  Alderman  for  the  Third  Ward ;  James  Wills,  Al- 
derman for  the  Fourth  Ward;  and  James  R.  McQuaid  and  James 
H.  Murphy  received  an  equal  number  of  votes  for  Alderman  in 
the  Second  Ward.  This  election  was  decided  by  lot  in  favor  of 
Mr.  Murphy.  Christian  Hains  was  reflected  Supervisor,  and 
Darius  Roberts  Constable  and  Collector.  The  board  appointed 
A.  R.  Haynes  Clerk,  and  John  W.  Shinn  Assessor.  This  board 
appropriated  $40  per  annum  as  salary  of  its  President,  and  $20 
each  per  annum  to  the  board.  On  the  22d  of  April,  1854,  the 
council  established  and  organized  a  Board  of  Health,  in  view  of 
and  to  prevent  the  spread  of  small-pox,  which  had  appeared  in 
the  town.  The  Board  of  Health  were  Jno.  G.  Piper,  Dr.  Henry 
Ingersoll,  and  John  Thorp.  They  reported  but  one  case,  and 
that  a  mild  case  of  varioloid. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  107 


THE  CITY  OF  CANTON. 

IN  the  winter  of  185  3 -'4  Canton  was,  by  legislative  enactment, 
chartered  as  a  city,  and  on  the  4th  of  April,  1854,  the  first  elec- 
tion under  the  city  charter  for  officers  was  held.  At  this  election 
Lewis  Corbin  was  elected  Mayor;  D.  H.  Dewey,  Supervisor;  B. 
F.  Moyer,  Marshal;  "Wm.  Thompson,  Alderman  for  the  First 
Ward;  Atharin  Keeling,  Alderman  Second  Ward;  J.  M.  Thomp- 
son, Alderman  Third  Ward;  James  Wills,  Alderman  Fourth 
Ward.  The  Collector  for  the  previous  year  (185  3 -'4)  reported 
the  tax-list  for  his  term  at  a  total  of  $737.32. 

An  election  for  Police  Magistrate  under  the  incorporate  laws  was 
held  on  the  7th  of  November,  1854,  at  which  Adam  R.  Haynes 
was  elected  the  first  Police  Magistrate  of  the  City  of  Canton. 
This  created  a  vacancy  in  the  office  of  City  Clerk,  and  James  H. 
Murphy  was  elected  by  the  board  to  fill  it. 

The  council,  on  the  6th  of  January,  1855,  enacted  a  very  strin- 
.  gent  prohibitory  liquor-law,  and  vigorously  prosecuted  all  viola- 
tions of  it,  but  not  with  entire  success.     It  was  during  the  ad- 
ministration of  this  board  that  the  ladies  destroyed  the  whisky  of 
Canton. 

The  city's  income  for  1854,  from  all  sources,  was  $875.32,  and 
expenditures  the  same  sum. 

On  the  6th  of  July,  1855,  the  council  appointed  Wm.  H.  Jack- 
son, Joseph  H.  Pierce,  Wm.  M.  Waugh,  Henry  N.  Ross  and 
Thompson  Maple  Police  Officers. 

The  council  on  the  3d  of  July,  1855,  appointed  Joseph  Smith, 
the  son  of  the  celebrated  Mormon  Prophet  Joe  Smith,  as  City 
Clerk,  which  position  he  held  until  December  4th,  1855,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  Wm.  H.  Haskell. 

April  7th,  1856,  at  the  regular  spring  election,  Thompson 
Maple  was  elected  Mayor;  A.  Keeling,  Alderman  for  the  First 
Ward ;  P.  Plattenberg,  Alderman  Second  Ward ;  J.  H.  Bass,  Al- 
derman Third  Ward ;  and  Wm.  Parlin,  Alderman  Fourth  Ward. 
Jno.  W.  Wilson  was  elected  City  Marshal,  and  C.  Haynes  Super- 
visor. 

The  amount  of  tax  received  for  1855,  on  real  and  personal 
property,  was  $862.39;  for  plank  walks,  $2,087.97.  The  total 
revenues  of  the  city,  from  all  sources,  were  $3,050.18;  total  ex- 


108  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEEKS  AND  HISTORY. 

penditures,  $3,048.39;  and  the  total  debt  of  the  city  was 
$1,503.77,  against  which  there  was  due  the  city,  for  fines  and  for- 
feitures, $107.00. 

This  board  appointed  W.  H.  Haskell  City  Clerk,  A.  Wills  As- 
sessor, and  T.  N".  Hamilton  Treasurer.  Mr.  Haskell,  however, 
soon  resigned,  and  Lewis  Corbin  was  appointed  his  successor. 

This  board  ordered  an  election  to  be  held  on  the  2d  of  .October 
to  decide  for  or  against  the  subscription  by  the  city  of  $50,000 
stock  in  the  Jacksonville  &  Savanna  Railroad.  The  vote  re- 
sulted in  carrying  the  proposition  by  a  majority  of  299  votes. 

April  6th,  1857,  Townsend  Atwater  was  elected  Mayor;  Jona- 
than Nies,  Alderman  for  the  First  Ward ;  Jno.  Bailey,  do.  Second 
Ward;  Daniel  Groenendyke,  do.  Third  Ward;  Wm.  Parlin,  do. 
Fourth  Ward.  Jno.  W.  Wilson  was  elected  Marshal,  and  Chris- 
tian Haines  City  Supervisor. 

This  board  appointed  G.  Barrere  Clerk,  Christian  Bidamon 
Collector,  Andrew  Wills  Assessor,  Thos.  W.  Hamilton  Treasurer, 
C.  Haynes  Surveyor  and  Engineer,  D.  J.  Wagoner  and  P.  M. 
Binnix  Police  Constables  for  the  First  Ward,  Joseph  Pierce  and 
Stephen  Thorp  do.  Second  Ward,  Orville  Jones  and  David  Nay- 
lor  do.  Third  Ward,  Jacob  Parker  and  Jno.  Foutch  do.  Fourth 
Ward.  Mr.  Nies  removing  from  the  First  Ward  soon  after  his 
election,  Sands  N.  Breed  was  elected  Alderman  in  his  place. 

This  board  authorized  its  Clerk  to  grant  license  for  billiard- 
tables,  and  granted  license  for  the  sale  of  liquor. 

On  the  5th  day  of  January,  1857,  Jno.  W.  Shinn  was  elected 
Police  Magistrate. 

The  total  amount  of  revenue  to  the  city  for  1855,  including  li- 
censes, was  $2,726.95 ;  expenditure,  $2,700.02 ;  balance  in  treasury, 
$26.93.  The  debt  of  the  city  was  stated  at  $1,036.79. 

The  election  in  April,  1858,  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Sands  N. 
Breed,  Mayor;  Jno.  Thorp,  City  Marshal;  C.  Haynes,  Super- 
visor; Aldermen — First  Ward,  D.  J.  Wagoner;  Second  do.,  A. 
C.  Babcock;  Third  do.,  D.  Groenendyke;  Fourth  do.,  Jno.  G. 
Graham.  This  was  also  a  license  board.  Their  receipts  and  ex- 
penditures do  not  appear  on  the  journal. 

The  April  election  in  1859  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Sands  N. 
Breed,  Mayor;  Wm.  Vandevender,  Police  Magistrate;  Jos.  H. 
Pierce,  City  Marshal;  R.  P.  Craig,  Supervisor;  Aldermen  — 
First  Ward,  I.  S.  Piper;  Second  Ward,  P.  Plattenberg ;  Third 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  109 

Ward,  E.  P.  Buell;  Fourth  Ward,  James  Melrose.  A.  Wills 
was  appointed  Assessor,  Jos.  Pierce  Collector,  Wm.  Vande- 
vender  Clerk,  and  R.  P.  Craig  City  Engineer.  A  special  •  night 
police  was  also  .appointed,  consisting  of  Joseph  Pierce,  Jacob  W. 
Parker,  Jno.  B.  Allen,  and  Isaac  B.  English :  all  declined  but 
Mr.  Allen,  and  Wm.  Waugh  and  S.  P.  Miller  were  appointed  in 
their  stead. 

A  statement  of  the  financial  condition  of  the  city  for  the  fiscal 
year  ending  May  4th,  1859,  shows  the  whole  amount  of  revenue 
from  all  sources  to  have  been  $3,452.45;  expenditures,  $3,233.58; 
balance  in  treasury,  $218.87;  debt  of  city,  $1,500.  This  board 
raised  the  fees  for  license  for  selling  liquor  to  $200. 

At  the  spring  election,  1860,  the  officers  elected  were — Mayor, 
Chas.  T.  Heald;  Marshal,  Jos.  H.  Pierce;  Supervisor,  Wm.  King; 
Aldermen  —  First  Ward,  I.  S.  Piper;  Second  Ward,  Nathaniel 
S.  Wright;  Third  Ward,  Townsend  Atwater;  Fourth  Ward, 
Jno.  Wolf.  Wm.  Vandevender  was  reappointed  Clerk,  Andrew 
Wills  Assessor,  J.  H.  Pierce  Collector,  and  Jno.  W.  Shinn  Treas- 
urer. 

This  board  refused  to  grant  license  for  the  sale  of  liquor.  Mr. 
Shinn  neglecting  to  file  his  bond  as  Treasurer,  C.  C.  Dewey  was 
appointed  in  his  stead.  The  rate  of  taxation  was  fixed  at  35 
cents  on  the  $100  valuation  that  year.  The  financial  statement 
for  the  fiscal  year  ending  May  4th,  1860,  the  rate  of  taxation 
having  been  for  that  year  40  cents  on  the  $100  valuation,  showed 
revenue  from  all  sources,  $2,474.69;  expenditures,  $2,429.54; 
leaving  a  balance  in  the  treasury  of  $45.85. 

The  election  held  April  1st,  1861,  resulted  in  the  election  of 
Jacob  H.  Bass,  Mayor;  Robey  Whitely,  Supervisor;  Aldermen 
—  First  Ward,  Darius  Roberts ;  Second  Ward,  J.  R.  McQuaid; 
Third  W^rd,  T.  Atwater;  Fourth  Ward,  John  Smith.  They  or- 
ganized, and  appointed  Wm.  Vandevender  Clerk,  C.  C.  Dewey 
Treasurer,  Andrew  Wills  Assessor,  and  Jno.  W.  Wilson  Col- 
lector. 

The  financial  statement  for  the  fiscal  'year  ending  May  7th, 
1861,  showed  a  gross  revenue  to  the  city  of  $2,299.74;  there  was 
in  the  hands  of  the  Treasurer  $227.07,  which  with  the  sum  ex- 
pended by  the  city  made  a  total  of  $2,308.31.  The  debt  of  the 
city  was  stated  at  $1,565.38.  The  city  expenses  for  the  year  had 
been  $1,243.90,  exclusive  of  sidewalks,  commissions,  and  delin- 
quent taxes. 


110  CANNON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

On  the  23d  of  July,  1861,  this  council  passed  "an  ordinance 
for  suppressing  dram-shops,"  but  really  a  very  loose  license  law, 
under  which  almost  any  person  could  obtain  license. 

November  llth,  1861,  the  council  granted  right  of  way  to  the 
Jacksonville  &  Savanna  Railroad  through  the  incorporate  limits. 

At  the  regular  election  April  7th,  1862,  Wm.  McDowell  was 
elected  Mayor ;  Jno.  W.  Wilson,  City  Marshal ;  Lewis  Walling, 
City  Supervisor.  The  Aldermen  were  —  First  Ward,  H.  L. 
Nicolet;  Second  Ward,  G.  W  Fast;  Third  Ward,  T.  Stroud; 
Fourth  Ward,  John  Smith.  This  council  appointed  G.  Barrere 
City  Attorney,  Chauncy  Black  City  Engineer,  "  Tracy  Stroud 
Treasurer  at  his  request,  he  preferring  to  discharge  that  duty  free 
of  charge,  to  save  expense"  (says  the  record),  Jno.  Wilson  Col- 
lector, and  Wm.  Yandevender  Clerk. 

Mr.  Nicolet  resigning  in  the  First  Ward  as  Alderman,  a  special 
election  was  held  in  September,  and  John  Tanner  elected  to  fill 
the  vacancy.  At  the  same  time  an  election  was  held  to  fill  a  va- 
cancy in  the  office  of  Police  Magistrate,  and  Mr.  S.  A.  Gee  elect- 
ed. Mr.  Vandevender  also  resigned  his  position  of  City  Clerk, 
and  Jno.  W.  Haynes  was  appointed  his  successor. 

The  regular  spring  election  held  April  6th,  1863,  resulted  in 
the  choice  of  Ira  Johnson  fdr  Mayor ;  S.  A;  Gee,  Police  Magis- 
trate ;  J.  W.  Wilson,  City  Marshal ;  Wm.  King,  Supervisor ;  for 
Aldermen — First  Ward,  Wm.  Thompson;  Second  Ward,  Geo. 
W.  Fast;  Third  Ward,  Tracy  Stroud;  Fourth  Ward,  Jno.  W. 
Gosnell.  This  board  appointed  Andrew  Wills  Assessor,  Jno.  W. 
Haynes  Treasurer,  Samuel  A.  Gee  Clerk,  J.  W.  L.  Bicker,  J. 
Belt,  Wm.  Taylor  and  Chas.  Stewart  Policemen.  The  first  of- 
ficial action  of  this  board  was  a  resolution  to  refuse  all  applica- 
tions for  license  to  sell  liquor;  but,  in  the  face  of  this  resolution, 
at  the  next  meeting  of  the  board  they  did  grant  license'to  several 
persons.  The  assessments  for  this  year  for  city  purposes  were 
fixed  at  fifty  cents  on  the  one  hundred  dollars. 

At  the  election  held  April  4th,  1864,  for  city  officers,  Jno.  G. 
Piper  was  elected  Mayor ;  Aldermen  —  First  Ward,  Win.  Thomp- 
son; Second  Ward,  James  H.  Murphy;  Third  Ward,  John 
Bailey;  Fourth  Ward,  Robert  P.  Craig.  Jackson  Caldwell  was 
elected  City  Marshal,  Wm.  P.  Hannan  Supervisor.  This  board 
appointed  S.  A.  Gee  City  Clerk,  Wm.  Vandevender  Treasurer 
and  Assessor,  and  Jackson  Caldwell  Collector. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  Ill 

This  council  resolved  at  its  second  meeting  to  grant  no  license 
for  the  sale  of  spirituous  liquors. 

This  board  appropriated  $150  to  be  distributed  among  the  sick 
and  wounded  soldiers  and  their  families,  making  John  Thorp 
their  almoner.  The  tax  levy  this  year  was  fixed  at  fifty  cents  qn 
the  one  hundred  dollars,  and  the  property  of  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R. 
R.  within  the  city  limits  was  assessed  at  $20,000  and  taxed  the 
same  as  other  property.  This  council  adhered  to  their  resolution 
to  grant  no  license. 

The  spring  election  in  1865  resulted  in  the  election  of  Wm.  B. 
Gleason  as  Mayor;  James  G.  Head,  Marshal;  Robert  White, 
Supervisor.  The  Aldermen  were  —  for  the  First  Ward,  E.  H. 
Curtiss;  Third  Ward,  John  Bailey;  with  a  tie  vote  in  the 
Second  and  Fourth  Wards.  The  tie  was  decided  by  lot,  and  re- 
sulted in  favor  of  A.  O.  Baughman  in  the  Second  Ward  and  Jno. 
B.  Allen  in  the  Fourth  Ward.  S.  Y.  Thornton  contested  Mr. 
Allen's  seat,  however,  and  was  declared  entitled  to  the  seat. 

This  board  organized  by  the  selection  of  Wm.  Vandevender  as 
City  Clerk,  David  Beeson  as  Treasurer,  G.  Barrere  City  Attor- 
ney, J.  H.  Head  Collector,  and  Andrew  Wills  Assessor.  One  of 
the  first  acts  of  this  council  was  to  pass  an  ordinance  for  the 
licensing  of  saloons,  and  the  license  fee  was  fixed  at  $300  in  each 
case.  A  petition  was  presented  to  this  council,  at  one  of  its  earli- 
est sessions,  asking  that  a  small  park  be  made  out  of  the  Public 
Square,  and  the  petition  was  granted,  provided  the  citizens  would 
contribute  the  means.  On  the  29th  of  June,  1865,  the  council  re- 
solved to  give  a  repast  to  the  103d  Regiment  Volunteers,  on  the 
occasion  of  their  return  home  from  the  service.  In  July  Mr. 
Head  resigned  as  City  Marshal,  and  Jackson  Caldwell  was 
elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  The  assessment  this  year  was  fixed 
at  50  cents  on  the  $100  valuation. 

The  election  in  April,  1866,  elevated  to  the  Mayoralty  Mr.  T. 
Atwater;  Marshal,  P.  Slaughter;  Supervisor,  E.  Ayres;  Aldermen 
— First  Ward,  I.  S.  Piper;  Second  Ward,  A.  O.  Baughman; 
Third  Ward,  A.  B.  Hulett;  with  a  tie  in  the  Fourth  Ward  be- 
tween S.  Y.  Thornton  and  Joel  Dewey.  This  tie  was  decided  by 
lot,  resulting  in  the  selection  of  Mr.  Thornton.  Mr.  Vandevender 
was  again  appointed  Clerk,  G.  Barrere  City  Attorney;  Joel  W. 
Dewey  Assessor,  Wm.  H.  Haskell  Engineer  and  Surveyor,  and 
Philip  Slaughter  Collector.  The  rate  of  assessment  was  fixed  by 


112  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

this  council  at  40  cents  on  the  $100.  Mr.  Barrere  resigned  as  City 
Attorney  on  the  5th  of  February,  1867,  and  P.  C.  Stearns  was 
selected  as  his  successor.  Mr.  Stearns  was  by  vote  dismissed 
from  the  office  on  the  20th  of  Februrary.  The  council  passed  a  very 
stringent  anti-license  law  on  the  6th  of  March,  1867,  one  month 
before  the  election  of  a  new  council. 

In  the  April  election,  1867,  Chas.  T.  Heald  was  elected  Mayor; 
Silas  Cheek,  Police  Magistrate ;  Enos  Ayers,  Supervisor;  Robert 
C.  Thomas,  City  Marshal.  The  Aldermen  were  —  First  Ward, 
Wm.  Parlin;  Second  Ward,  J.  H.  Murphy;  Third  Ward,  T.  At- 
water ;  Fourth  Ward,  A.  C.  Moore.  J.  L.  Murphy  was  appointed 
Clerk,  P.  C.  Stearns  City  Attorney,  Silas  Cheek  Assessor,  David 
Beeson  Treasurer,  Wm.  H.  Haskell  Surveyor  and  Engineer. 
This  year  the  rate  of  assessment  was  fixed  at  35  cents  on  the  $100 
valuation.  This  was  an  anti-license  board. 

The  spring  election  in  1868  resulted  in  the  choice  of  Geo.  M. 
Wright  as  Mayor,  James  C.  Dunlap,  Marshal;  Enos  Ayres, 
Supervisor;  for  Aldermen  —  a  tie  in  the  First  Ward  between  A. - 
Keeling  and  John  Tanner;  Second  Ward,  Jos.  H.  Murphy;  Third 
Ward,  Wilson  Hulet;  Fourth  Ward,  Chas.  T.  Heald.  The  tie 
in  the  First  Ward  was  decided  in  favor  of  John  Tanner  by  lot.  Mr. 
Keeling  contesting,  on  an  investigation  of  his  claim,  the  council 
decided  in  his  favor.  Thomas  Coleman  was  appointed  Clerk,  P. 
C.  Stearns  City  Attorney,  W.  H.  Haskell  Surveyor  and  En- 
gineer, Jas.  C.  Dunlap  Collector,  David  Beeson  Treasurer,  and 
John  Gregg  Chief  of  the  Fire  Department.  This  council  was 
anti-license.  Mr.  Gregg,  who  had  been  appointed  Chief  of  the 
Fire  Department,  declining  to  serve,  Mr.  Wm.  B.  Gleason  was 
appointed  in  his  stead.  The  assessment  rate  this  year  was  fixed 
at  50  cents  on  the  $100  valuation. 

The  election  on  the  5th  day  of  April,  1869,  resulted  in  the  elec- 
tion as  Mayor  of  J.  S.  McCreary;  Marshal,  Wm.  Shreffler;  Super- 
visor, Preston  Sebree;  Aldermen — First  Ward,  H.  L.  Wright; 
Second  Ward,  W.  D.  Plattenberg;  Third  Ward,  Wilson  Hulet; 
Fourth  Ward,  Chauncey  Webster.  C.  T.  Coleman  was  elected 
Clerk,  P.  C.  Stearns  Attorney,  N.  F.  Dorrance  Assessor,  C.  T. 
Coleman  Collector,  David  Beeson  Treasurer,  Wm.  B.  Gleason 
Chief  Engineer  of  the  Fire  Department.  This  was  an  anti-license 
council.  The  assessment  was  fixed  this  year  at  50  cents  on  the 
$100  valuation.  This  council  ordered  that  the  names  of  the 
streets  be  lettered  and  jDosted  on  the  street-corners. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  113 

At  the  election  held  April  4th,  1870,  J.  S.  McCreary  was 
elected  Mayor ;  City  Marshal,  Wm.  Shreffler ;  Police  Magistrate, 
C.  J.  Main;  Supervisor,  Ephraim  Main.  The  Aldermen  elected 
were  —  for  the  First  Ward,  J.  L.  Murphy ;  Second  Ward,  James 
Bonn;  Third  Ward,  S.  Y.  Thornton;  Fourth  Ward,  Daniel 
Abbott.  This  council  organized  by  the  appointment  of  D.  W. 
Maple  Clerk,  Wm.  B.  Gleason  Chief  Engineer  of  the  Fire  De- 
partment, Jno.  Bailey  Assistant,  D.  W.  Maple  Assessor,  David 
Beeson  Treasurer,  Wm.  Shreffler  Collector;  Policemen  —  Chas. 
Smith,  John  Belt,  James  Cook,  Wm.  Donn,  H.  Clingenpeel, 
Alfred  Troxell,  Thomas  Dailey,  Andrew  Ronk;  Daniel  Abbott, 
City  Attorney.  At  the  council  meeting  held  May  12th,  1870,  the 
council  decided  not  to  grant  license  to  sell  liquor;  but  on  the  15th 
of  June  rescinded  their  action  and  decided  to  grant  license.  The 
rate  of  assessment  for  this  year  is  fixed  at  50  cents  on  the  $100 
valuation. 


PORK  PACKING. 

THE  first  pork  packed  in  Canton  was  packed  by  Joel  Wright, 
in  perhaps  1831  and  '2.  His  "packing-house"  was  a  small 
smoke-house  in  the  rear  of  his  store  and  residence,  at  the  corner 
of  Wood  and  Illinois  streets.  He  continued  to  pack  more  or  less 
pork  up  to  perhaps  1846  or  '7,  shipping  to  St.  Louis,  or  occa- 
sionally sending  mess  pork  to  the  lead-mines.  Up  to  1840,  how- 
ever, he  did  but  little. 

In  1838  Messrs.  Shinn  &  Vittum  packed  pork  here  for  the 
Galena  market,  selling  to  parties  who  forwarded  to  their  custom- 
ers at  the  lead  mines  by  sleds  overland. 

In  the  winter  of  1839 -'40  Messrs.  Ingersoll  &  Vittum  began 
pork-packing  on  an  extensive  scale,  and  from  this  date  on  Canton 
began  to  be  an  important  point  for  the  pork  trade. 

It  would  be  impossible  now  to  give  in  their  regular  order  the 
names  of  the  various  large  packers  that  have  done  business  here : 
prominent  among  them,  however,  were  Messrs.  Thompson  Maple, 
Maple  &  Piper,  Maple,  Stipp  &  Stockdale,  James  H.  Stipp, 
Stipp  &  Bass,  Bass  &  Brother,  H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Ingersoll,  Joel 
Wright,  R.  W.  &  C.  C.  Dewey,  and  others  whose  names  have 
been  forgotten. 

Messrs.  Ingersoll  &  Vittum  began  their  pork-purchasing  at 
15 


114  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


$3.00  per  hundred  pounds  for  heavy  hogs,  or  those  netting  two 
hundred  weight  and  over.  In  later  years  prices  went  down,  un- 
til heavy  pork  has  been  purchased,  dressed  and  delivered  at  the 
pork-houses,  at  as  low  as  one  dollar  and  one  dollar  and  twenty- 
five  cents  per  hundred.  At  these  prices  farmers  considered  pork 
a  profitable  crop  —  more  profitable  than  corn  at  ten  cents  per 
bushel  or  wheat  at  twenty-five  cents.  The  pork  purchased  here 
until  since  the  completion  of  our  railroads  was  principally  killed 
by  the  farmers.  Indeed,  there  was  no  slaughtering  or  shipping 
of  live  hogs  done  until  1854,  when  George  Marks  and  James 
Stockdale  established  their  slaughter-house. 

The  pork-houses  furnished  employment  each  winter  to  a  large 
number  of  men,  while  teamsters  were  kept  busy  in  hauling  pork 
to  the  river.  From  1840  until  1854  spareribs,  tenderloins,  the 
upper  portion  of  the  heads,  and  the  feet,  were  given  away  until 
all  who  applied  for  them  were  supplied,  and  dozens  of  wagon- 
loads  of  the  surplus  were  hauled  out  into  Big  Creek  bottoms  and 
thrown  away,  until  the  people  of  the  town  would  enter  complaint 
against  the  parties  as  a  public  nuisance.  Hundreds  of  families 
were  thus  supplied  during  the  winter  with  free  meat,  and  very 
many  of  them  would  salt  away  barrels  of  tenderloins  for  summer 
use.  By  taking  a  barrel  to  any  one  of  the  packing-houses  and 
paying  for  the  salt,  the  pork -house  hands  would  fill  and  pack  the 
barrel.  By  those  who  were  here  then  and  have  now  to  pay 
butchers'  prices  for  spareribs  and  tenderloins,  is  it  any  wonder 
there  are  sighings  for  the  "good  old  days"? 

The  following  tables,  which  have  been  copied  from  old  files  of 
the  Canton  Register,  will  with  tolerable  accuracy  show  the  ex- 
tent of  the  pork  trade  of  Canton  from  1849  to  1862. 

PRICE 
YEAR.  NO.  OF  HOGS.   PER  100  LBS. 

Different  packers 1849-'oO 20,438  ....  $2.35 

1850-'51 14,000  ....  3.40 

"       1851 -'52 8,378 3.60 

1852-'53 8,361 5.50 

1853-'54 10,500 3.85 

AV.  PRICK  TOTAI,        AVERAGE 

FOR  1851-'55.  PER  100  LBS.   NO. OF  HOGS.          WEIGHT.        WEIGHT. 

Stipp,  Maple  &  Stockdale. . . .  $3.80  . .  14,406  . .  3,450,380  . .  239 


H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Ingersoll  

3.80  .. 

3,322 

.  .      814,501  .. 

245 

John  G.  Graham  

3.80  .. 

2,431 

..      573,716  .. 

236 

J.  M.  &  J.  H.  Bass  

3.80  .. 

2,409 

.  .      575,376  .. 

238 

Piper  &  Shoup  

3.80  .. 

2,138 

.  .      506,706  .. 

237 

Hippie  &  Dwire  

3.80  .. 

1,336 

..      312,960  .. 

235 

John  W.  Shinn  

3.80  .. 

253 

59,229  .. 

235 

Total.. 

28,170 

.  6,713,421  . 

238 

CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  115 

February  14th,  1856,  the  Register  says: 

Through  the  kindness  of  our  pork-dealers,  we  are  enabled  to 
lay  before  our  readers  the  following  statement  of  that  business, 
in  Canton,  for  present  season : 

AV.  WEIGHT 
NO. HOGS.        PEBHOO. 

J.  M.  &J.  H.  Bass ^ 3,864  ....  238 

Piper  &  Shoup 3,064 232 

Stipp,  Maple  &  Stockdale 1,700 235 

Groenendyke  &  Simonson 2,000 225 

Hulits&  Atwater 2,074 220 

H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Ingersoll 2,829  ....  240 

Hippie  &  Dwire 2,000 232 

Graham,  Wills  &  Co 2,440 J533 

Total 19,471  ....  "238 

The  total  weight  is  4,529,740  Ibs. 

The  foregoing  figures,  we  believe,  are  correct  up  to  this  date. 
There  are,  however,  some  few  hogs  yet  to  come  in — perhaps 
enough  to  raise  the  number  to  20,000,  but  not  more.  Compared 
with  last  season,  the  figures  stand  as  follows : 

1854-'55 28,170  ....  6,713,421 238 

1855-'56 19,471  ....  4,529,740  ....  238 

Decrease 9,699 2,193,961 

In  1856 -'7,  according  to  the  same  authority,  there  were  packed 
in  Canton,  by 

NO. HOGS.  AV.W'T. 

J.  M.  &  J.  H.  Bass 2,200  ....  242 

I.S.Piper 1,775 243 

Hulits  &  Atwater 1,650 

Groenendyke  &  Simonson 1,500 

H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Ingersoll 2,719  ....  238% 

John  S.  Wills  &  Bros 1,636 240 

Total  number 11,480 

Last  year  the  total  number  packed  in  this  place  was  10,700,  and 
the  total  average  weight  a  fraction  over  237.  It  will  therefore  be 
seen  that  the  number  is  somewhat  larger  and  the  average  weight 
somewhat  better  this  season  than  last. 

For  1859  the  Register  says: 

The  following  is  the  number  of  hogs  packed  in  this  place  this 
season : 


116  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Bass,  Haynes  &  Ross 3,000 

I.  S.  Piper 1,850 

Hulits  &  Atwater 1,762 

Simonson  &  Breed 800 

Ingersolls 3,944 

Jno.  S.  Wills  &  Bro 1,725 

J.  H.  Stipp&Co. 950 

Trites,  Seaton  &  Co *. 1,200 

Total 14,731 

The  average  weight  is  178  pounds,  net.  Last  season  the 
average  was  235  pounds. 

In  1860,  from  the  same  authority  I  quote: 

Some  of  the  best  hogs  of  the  season  were  brought  in  last  week. 
The  following  lots  were  received  by  Messrs.  Ingersoll,  from  the 
persons  named : 

NO.HOOS.    AV.W'T. 

DavidPerrine 27 303 

E.Burdick 34 304 

Samuel  Brown i8 336 

James  Perrine 38 262 

J.T.Dunn 36  ....  240 

RGreenwell 43  ....  250 

George  V.  Coe 12 285 

The  pork  season  being  about  closed,  we  have,  according  to  our 
usual  custom,  called  upon  our  packers  to  obtain  the  number  and 
average  weight  of  the  hogs  packed,  which  we  give  below : 

NO.  AV.W'T. 

Bass,  Haynes  &  Ross 2,435 215 

IS.  Piper 700  ....  210 

Hulits  &  Atwater 200 215 

Breed,  Cline  &  Co 700  ....  218 

H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Ingersoll 3,017  ....  215 

Trites,  Seaton  &  Co 750 216 

Wills  Brothers 1,250  . . . .  220 

Total 9,052 216^ 

In  1859,  the  number  packed  was  14,731,  and  the  average  net 
weight  178;  in  1858,  the  number  packed  was  11,480,  and  average 
weight  235;  in  1857,  the  number  packed  was  10,700,  and  the 
average  weight  a  fraction  over  237. 

'  In  1862,  January  25th,  the  Register  says: 
Through  the  kindness  of  our  packers,  we  are  enabled  to  lay 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  117 

before  our  readers  the  following  statement  of  the  number  of  hogs 
packed  in  this  city  during  the  season  now  closing : 

H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Ingersoll 3,947 

Bass,  Hains  &  Ross 3,550 

Piper  &  Griffith 3,100 

Wills  Bros 2,282 

E.  A.  Breed  &  Co 830 

At  Stockdale's  slaughter-house 300 

McCall&  Co.. 323' 

Wm.  Babcock 100 

Amos  Babcock 65 

Total 14,497 

Piper  &  Griffith  also  shipped  200  hogs  to  Chicago,  uncut,  be- 
ing unable  to  secure  barrels  to  pack  them  in.  The  want  of  bar- 
rels prevented  many  more  from  being  packed  here.  The  average 
weight  is  about  270  ft>s. 

After  the  completion  of  railroads  to  Canton  pork-packing  in  a 
good  measure  ceased,  live  hogs  being  shipped  at  all  seasons  of 
the  year. 

About  1855  occurred  an  event  that  has  had  a  controlling  influ- 
ence in  the  hog  production,  not  only  of  this  vicinity,  but  of  the 
entire  Northwest.  In  that  year  Mr.  A.  C.  Moore,  a  gentleman 
who  had  for  ten  years  previously  been  making  the  breeding  of  a 
superior  breed  of  hogs  a  specialty  in  Butler  county,  Ohio,  immi- 
grated to  the  township,  and  purchased  the  farm  known  as  the 
Slosson  farm,  about  two  and  one-half  miles  southwest  of  Canton. 
On  Mr.  Moore's  arrival  he  brought  with  him  the  best  selections 
from  his  Ohio  stock,  and  renewed  his  efforts  as  a  breeder.  His 
breed  —  of  which  he  has  made  a  specialty  —  was  an  improved 
Poland  and  China  hog.  Mr.  Moore  soon  established  for  himself 
so  great  a  reputation  as  a  breeder  that. his  name  has  passed  into 
a  household  word  among  the  best  class  of  farmers  throughout 
the  West,  and  hogs  from  his  farm  command  unprecedented  prices 
from  Maine  to  California.  He  has  undoubtedly  taken  more  pre- 
miums in  both  number  and  value  than  any  other  breeder  of  any 
breed  of  hogs  in  the  United  States,  at  both  state  and  county  fairs. 
One  hog  he  now  owns,  bred  by  him,  has  taken  over  $1,400  in 
premiums.  Mr.  Moore  now  breeds  more  pigs  for  purely  breeding 
purposes  than  any  other  breeder  in  the  world,  having  raised  last 
year  (1870),  from  his  own  farm,  over  750  pigs,  and  purchased 


118  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

from  his  neighbors  selected  pigs — -chiefly  the  product  of  stock 
previously  sold  to  them — about  two  hundred  more.  About  800 
pigs  have  been  distributed  for  purely  breeding  purposes  from 
Ohio  to  California,  and  from  Minnesota  to  Mississippi,  by  him. 

Mr.  Moore's  business  produces  him  an  annual  income  of  not 
less  than  from  $20,000  to  $25,000.  His  stock  is  called  Poland- 
China,  originating  in  crosses  of  the  Poland,  China  and  Byfield ; 
but  so  long  have  they  been  bred  under  his  careful  supervision, 
skill  and  intelligence  —  qualities  for  which  Mr.  Moore  is  preemin- 
ent,— that  the  more  valuable  qualities  of  each  breed  have  been 
so  thoroughly  and  carefully  blended  that  they  have  become  a  dis- 
tinct thorough-bred  stock,  known  and  recognized  in  the  official 
records  of  our  State  Board  of  Agriculture  and  other  official 
boards  as  the  Poland-China.  Mr.  Moore's  herd  now  contains  in 
the  neighborhood  of  two  hundred  thorough-breed  brood  sows  and 
fourteen  males,  and  is  year  by  year  increasing. 

The  people  of  Fulton  county  feel,  justly,  proud  of  Mr.  Moore's 
success,  as  by  his  judicious  crossing  he  has  attained  a  uniformity 
of  size,  color  and  fattening  qualities  that  has  made  his  stock  the 
great  premium-taking  stock  of  the  Northwest,  and  its  reputation 
has  been  reflected  back  upon  the  county,  until  the  "  Moore's  Po- 
land-China hog"  has  made  the  county  famous.  I  here  venture 
the  assertion  that  no  other  variety  of  hogs  has  ever  taken  so 
many  valuable  premiums,  and  at  the  same  time  accord  to  A.  C. 
Moore,  of  Canton,  the  honor  of  breeding  it  up  to  its  present  high 
standard. 

Mr.  J.  B.  McCreary,  who  came  into  the  township  in  1867,  is 
also  a  successful  and  skillful  breeder  of  Poland-China  hogs,  and 
is  rapidly  acquiring  a  reputation  as  a  breeder.  In  fact,  it  may 
be  said  that  very  many  of  our  population  Have  become  breeders 
of  thorough-bred  hogs.  One  of  the  most  directly  important  re- 
sults of  this  enterprise  has  been  to  place  Fulton  first  in  the  list 
of  hog-producing  counties  of  the  state — the  last  census  (1870) 
showing  an  aggregate  of  57,760  hogs  over  six  months  old  in  the 
county,  valued  for  pork  at  the  round  sum  of  $1,100,000. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  119 


ROBERT  C.  CULTON, 

A  native  of  Kentucky,  who  landed  in  Canton  in  October,  1836, 
has  been,  since  his  residence  here,  probably  more  frequently  a 
pioneer  in  important  improvements  and  public  enterprises  than 
any  other  individual  who  has  resided  here.  On  arriving  at  Can- 
ton, he  immediately  purchased  from  Ira  Baker  his  blacksmith 
shop,  located  on  Lot  46,  Jones's  Addition,  corner  of  Jones  and  Main 
streets,  and  began  business  at  his  trade — blacksraithing.  For 
many  years  after  he  carried  on  the  largest  shop  in  town. 

In  June,  1837,  Mr.  Cnlton  set  up  on  this  lot  the  first  carding- 
machine  in  Canton.  His  machinery  consisted  of  two  stands  of 
cards,  and  was  operated  by  two  horses  on  a  tread- wheel.  This 
establishment  was  successful,  and  drew  trade  from  distant  parts 
of  the  country,  which  otherwise  would  have  gone  elsewhere.  In 
1841  Mr.  Culton  took  into  partnership  in  the  carding  business 
his  brother-in-law,  Arche  Henderson,  at  the  same  time  adding 
two  additional  stands  of  cards  and  increasing  his  power  to  four 
horses.  The  establishment  continued  in  operation  until  about 
1842,  when  it  was  discontinued. 

Mr.  Culton  was  thus  the  pioneer  carder.  So,  also,  he  was  the 
father  of  the  improved  plow  manufacturing.  Having  commenced 
blacksmithiug  in  1836,  he  in  1840  began  the  manufacture  of  the 
old-fashioned  Diamond  Plow,  which  was  the  progenitor  of  the 
steel  mould-board  plows  of  the  present  day.  He  also  made  the 
"Carey  Plow"  and  the  "Bar  Share"  breaking  plow.  His  plows 
found  ready  sale,  as  they  were  well  made  by  competent  workmen. 
Wm.  Parlin  was  one  of  his  blacksmiths,  and  his  wood-workers 
were  Cornelius  Van  Middlesworth,  Charles  Rockhold,  and  Cyrus 
Coykendall.  Mr.  Culton  also  erected  the  first  frame  for  shoeing 
oxen  in  Canton. 

In  1848  Mr.  Culton  decided  to  go  into  merchandising,  and  ac- 
cordingly associated  with  him  in  business  a  nephew,  J.  W.  Cul- 
ton, now  of  Chicago.  Their  place  of  business  was  on  the  ground 
now  occupied  by  the  portion  of  Union  Block  in  which  G.  B.  Yit- 
tum  is  doing  business.  This  venture  proved  unprofitable,  and 
the  firm  was  dissolved  and  business  suspended. 

Mr.  Culton  has  been  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  Church 
since  1823,  and  an  elder  of  the  church  for  just  a  quarter  of  a 


120  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

century.  He  still  resides  here,  on  the  ground  where  he  first  set- 
tled, on  Main  street  between  Jones  and  Walnut  streets,  a  proper- 
ty on  which  he  has  lived  for  thirty-four  years. 


PLOW  MANUFACTURING. 

As  heretofore  stated,  R.  C.  Culton  was  the  first  manufacturer  of 
plows  in  Canton.  His  establishment,  while  it  was  large  for  that 
period,  was  yet  so  small  as  not  to  have  attracted  attention  outside 
of  this  immediate  vicinity.  It  is  therefore  no  injustice  to  Mr. 
Culton  to  mention  as  the  originator  of  plow  manufacturing  in  this 
county  the  name  of 

WILLIAM  PARLIN. 

Mr.  Parlin  is  a  native  of  Massachusetts.  He  immigrated  to 
Fulton  county,  landing  at  Copperas- Creek  Landing  on  the  4th 
day  of  July,  1840.  Mr.  Parlin  at  this  time  was  a  young  man, 
with  no  capital  but  a  knowledge  of  his  trade — blacksmithing, — 
and  a  full  stock  of  that  indomitable  energy  for  which  the  New- 
England  character  is  celebrated.  Not  only  was  Mr.  Parlin  poor, 
but  he  was  lame,  and  at  the  same  time  quiet,  unassuming  and  re- 
tiring in  his  disposition  —  so  much  so  that  he  attracted  no  attention. 

Mr.  Parlin  began  work  as  a  "jour."  for  Mr.  Culton,  and  finally, 
from  his  knowledge  of  his  trade,  became  for  a  short  period  a 
partner  with  that  gentleman,  but  soon  dissolved  the  connection 
and  rented  a  small  shop  on  the  south  side  of  Elm  street,  near  his 
present  manufactory.  Here  Mr.  Parlin  began  to  attract  attention 
by  his  industry  and  skill.  He  considered  himself  too  poor  to  em- 
ploy a  "helper"  in  his  business,  and,  with  characteristic  ingenui- 
ty, made  for  himself  a  trip-hammer.  This  hammer  was  operated 
by  Mr.  Parlin's  foot.  Many  of  our  old  citizens  will  remember 
this  hammer. 

While  working  here,  Mr.  Parlin  married  Miss  Caroline  Oren- 
dorff,  in  January,  1845.  Miss  Orendorff  was  a  daughter  of  John 
Orendorff,  Esq. 

In  1846  Mr.  Parlin  purchased  from  Maj.  Lewis  Bidamon  his 
foundry,  situated  on  Main  street,  corner  of  Walnut,  on  the  ground 
now  occupied  by  the  residence  of  Wm.  Seavey,  Esq.  Mr.  Par- 
lin began  here  the  general  foundry  business,  but  made  a  few  steel 
plows. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  121 

In  January,  1848,  this  foundry  burned  to  the  ground,  and 
proved  a  total  loss,  except  a  small  amount  of  steel,  which  was 
not  injured.  This  was  considered  a  severe  blow  by  Mr.  Parlin, 
but  did  not  discourage  him.  He  now  rented  a  fire  in  the  black- 
smith-shop of  John  Culton,  on  Elm  street,  north  side,  between 
Third  and  Fourth  streets.  Here  he  began  the  manufacture  of 
plows,  working  up  his  small  stock  of  steel,  forging  his  plows  at 
his  shop;  then  wheeling  them  on  a  wheelbarrow  to  McPheters's 
oil-mill,  on  Fourth  street  to  a  horse-power  grindstone  for  grind- 
ing them,  loading  them  again  upon  his  wheelbarrow,  he  would 
wheel  them  through  the  streets  to  Charley  Rockhold's  shop,  Main 
street  between  Elm  and  Jones  streets,  south  of  the  Emory 
House. 

Thompson  Maple,  who  was  at  that  time  the  most  enterprising 
and  energetic  of  our  business  men,  had  been  noticing  the  energy 
manifested  by  Mr.  Parlin,  and  proposed  to  him  a  partnership. 
This  arrangement  was  finally  consummated,  and  the  firm  of 
Maple  &  Parlin  was  established  for  the  manufacture  of  plows  — 
Maple  furnishing  the  capital,  and  Parlin  the  skill.  The  new  firm 
began  business  at  the  corner  of  Elm  and  Fourth  streets,  on  the 
same  corner  where  Mr.  Parlin  has  since  remained.  This  firm  be- 
gan business  in  the  summer  of  1846,  only  a  few  months  after  the 
fire  which  had  apparently  been  so  disastrous. 

The  firm  of  Maple  &  Parlin  manufactured  the  steel  mould- 
board  plow,  and  were  successful  to  a  marked  extent.  Their  suc- 
cess and  Mr.  Parlin's  present  success  may  be  attributed  to  the 
fact  that  every  plow  manufactured  had  to  pass  under  the  eye  of 
Mr.  Parlin,  who  personally  selected  all  his  timber  and  rejected 
every  stick  that  was  deficient,  allowing  no  work  to  leave  his  shop 
that  was  not  done  in  the  most  substantial  and  workmanlike  man- 
ner. They  availed  themselves  constantly  of  every  improvement 
in  plows  made  by  other  establishments,  and  Mr.  Parlin  himself 
made  the  plow  a  study,  thereby  enabling  himself  to  perfect  many 
very  valuable  improvements  by  his  own  ingenuity. 

In  1848  or  '9,  the  firm  of  Maple  &  Parlin  was  dissolved  by 
mutual  consent,  Mr.  Maple  retiring — Parlin  now  being  able  to 
stand  alone.  He  continued  alone  until  the  1st  of  January,  1852, 
when,  finding  his  business  increasing  to  so  great  an  extent  that 
he  could  no  longer  attend  to  his  office  business  and  give  the  at- 
tention to  the  mechanical  part  of  his  business  he  desired,  he  took 
16 


122  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

into  partnership  his  brother-in-law  Mr.  "Wm.  J.  Orendorff.  This 
firm  has  continued  since  unchanged. 

The  firm  of  Parlin  &  Orendorff  continued  gradually  but  con- 
stantly to  extend  their  business  and  facilities  for  manufacturing, 
until  they  now  rank  among  the  first  plow-manufacturing  estab- 
lishments in  the  Union.  Their  average  force  of  workmen  is  now 
eighty  men  in  constant  employment.  In  the  year  1870  they  man- 
ufactured 8000  "Canton  Clipper"  Plows,  3000  "Parlin's  Cultiva- 
tors," and  600  Stalk-Cutters.  Their  plows  are  handled  by  deal- 
ers throughout  the  Western  States,  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
Southern  States,  the  Pacific  States,  and  all  the  Western  Terri- 
tories. 

In  1855  Messrs.  Parlin  &  Orendorff  took  the  first  premium  on 
plows  over  all  competitors,  at  the  State  Fair  held  at  Chicago, 
since  which  time  they  have  succeeded  in  taking  nearly  every  first 
premium  for  which  they  have  competed. 

This  manufactory,  it  will  be  observed,  has  been  the  up-growing 
of  small  business  without  capital,  the  result  of  indomitable  ener- 
gy, ahd  an  honest  determination  to  turn  out  only  first-class  work. 
The  poor  blacksmith  has  now,  at  only  fifty-three  years  of  age, 
while  still  in  the  prime  of  life,  become  a  great  manufacturer — a 
Plow  King,  in  fact 

Parlin's  Plow  Factory  is  considered  by  the  people  of  Canton 
one  of  the  institutions  of  the  town  of  which  they  are  proud,  and 
well  they  may  be. 


INGERSOLL  BROTHERS. 

J.  W.  INGERSOLL,  of  Ithaca,  New  York,  came  into  the  State  of 
Illinois  in  the  spring  of  1837,  in  the  employ  of  the  State,  which 
was  at  that  time  engaged  in  a  stupendous  scheme  of  Railroad 
building.  Mr.  Ingersoll  was  a  civil  engineer,  and  in  that  capacity 
was  assigned  to  duty  in  the  preliminary  survey  of  the  Illinois 
Central  Railroad,  from  Lasalle  south.  After  a  few  months'  ser- 
vice, he  was  transferred  to  the  survey  of  the  Peoria  &  Warsaw 
Railroad,  with  headquarters  at  Canton,  Joel  Wright  being  at  that 
time  one  of  the  State  Commissioners  of  Internal  Improvements. 

Mr.  Ingersoll  remained  in  the  service  of  the  state  until  the  fall 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  123 

of  1839,  when  himself  and  his  brother  H.  F.  Ingersoll  entered 
into  copartnership,  under  the  name  of  H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Ingersoll, 
and,  purchasing  the  stock  of  goods  then  owned  by  D.  W.  Vittum, 
began  business  as  general  merchants.  The  store-room  was  lo- 
cated on  the  southwest  corner  of  the  Public  Square,  in  an  old 
building  —  since  removed  —  on  the  ground  now  occupied  by  the 
store  of  J.  M.  Fox.  In  the  spring  1840  Mr.  Yittuni  purchased 
a  one-third  interest  in  the  business,  and  remained  in  the  firm,  un- 
der the  style  of  Ingersoll  &  Vittum,  until  the  fall  of  1841,  when 
he  purchased  the  interest  of  the  Brothers  Ingersoll. 

Ingersoll  Brothers  immediately  began  business  again  on  their 
own  account,  under  their  old  firm  name  of  H.  F.  &  J.  W.  Inger- 
soll, occupying  a  store-room  on  the  northeast  corner  of  the  Public 
Square,  on  a  lot  now  vacant,  but  long  since  known  as  "  Bass's  old 
stand,"  and  continued  in  business  in  that  location  until  1843, 
when  they  removed  to  the  lot  now  occupied  by  J.  E.  Bower,  on 
the  east  side  of  the  Public  Square,  where  they  remained  until 
1846,  when  they  purchased  a  store-room  of  Win.  Bell — better 
known  to  old  settlers  as  "  Bill  Bell  the  Tailor."  This  store-room 
was  on  the  lot  now  occupied  by  that  portion  of  Ingersoll's  Block 
in  which  J.  R.  McQuaid  is  doing  business. 

In  the  summer  of  1868  Messrs.  Ingersoll  built  the  fine  business 
block,  now  occupied  in  part  by  them,  on  the  west  side,  at  a  cost 
of  $15,000.  This  is  the  three-story  portion  of  the  Ingersoll 
Block.  During  the  season  of  1869  they  built  the  two-story  por- 
tion of  the  same  block,  at  a  cost  of  $7,000. 

The  Ingersoll  Brothers  have  from  their  beginning  in  Canton 
commanded  a  fair  portion  of  the  best  trade  of  the  county*  Dur- 
ing the  early  years  of  their  business  they  packed  pork  and 
shipped  an  immense  amount  of  grain  from  Copperas  Creek  and 
Liverpool  to  St.  Louis.  They  still  remain  in  business. 


ANECDOTE  OF  JOHN  BE  YARD. 

AMONG  the  occasional  teamsters  to  the  river  was  John  Bevard, 
who  drove  four  horses  to  an  old-fashioned  Pennsylvania  wagon. 
He  rode  one  of  the  wheel-horses  and  drove  with  a  single  line. 
One  winter,  while  the  roads  were  in  a  desperate  condition  and 


124  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

few  teams  would  venture  upon  the  road,  the  Ingersoll  Brothers 
received  a  new  stock  of  goods  at  Copperas-Creek  Landing. 
Bevard  with  his  four-horse  team  •offered  to  bring  one  load,  and 
Hiram  Snow  another.  Snow  had  a  three-horse  team,  and  drove 
Yankee  fashion  with  four  lines.  At  night  Bevard  returned  with 
his  load,  and  was  asked  by  John  Ingersoll  if  he  had  seen  any 
thing  of  Snow. 

"Snow?"  said  he,  "No,  I  hain't  seen  any  thing  of  any  body." 

"Why,"  said  Ingersoll,  "you  must  have  met  him:  he  left  here 
just  after  you  did.  He  was  driving  three  horses." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  replied  Bevard,  reflectively,  "  I  guess  I  did  meet 
him,  but  he  won't  be  back  to-night." 

"Why  not?"  queried  Ingersoll. 

"  Why,  h — 1 !  its  impossible !  I  could  hardly  get  through  with 
four  horses  and  one  line :  how  in  h — 1  do  you  suppose  he  can  get 
here  with  three  horses  and  four  lines  ?  " 


BEGINNING  IN  THE  HIGHER  BRANCHES. 

I  CAN  not  refrain  from  giving  the  following  anecdote  of  William 
D.  Coleman,  which  is  vouched  for  by  one  of  the  best  citizens  of 
Canton. 

Coleman  was  in  Chicago  on  business,  and  had  put  up  at  the 
Tremont.  At  dinner,  and  when  the  immense  dining-room  was 
thronged  with  guests,  a  waiter  handed  him  a  bill  of  fare.  Taking 
it  in  his'hand,  he  thus  addressed  the  astonished  son  of  Erin: 

"Say,  mister,  what  do  you  call  this?" 

"That,  sir,  is  our  bill  of  fare." 

"  Bill  of  fare  ?    What  is  that  ?  " 

"And  sure,  sir,  don't  you  know?" 

"No-:  what  is  it  for?" 

"  It  tells  what  we  've  got  for  dinner." 

"Well,  read  it  for  me,"  said  William,  in  a  loud  voice  that 
brought  every  eye  in  the  dining-room  upon  him  and  made  broad 
smiles  to  ripple  on  the  faces  of  the  guests. 

"Faith,  and  ca'n't  you  read,  sir?"  said  Patrick. 

"No,"  replied  William,  with  imperturbable  gravity,  "  daddy  be- 
gan my  eddication  in  the  higher  branches,  and  died  afore  I  had 


CANTON  J^ITS   PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  125 

got  down   to   the    common    studdies,    like    readin',  writin'  and 
'rithmetic." 

Such  shouts  of  laughter  as  followed  this  explanation  may  be 
imagined,  but  not  described. 


D.  C.  JONES. 

CHEEKY  JONES,  as  he  was  familiarly  called,  came  to  Canton  in 
the  spring  of  1835.  He  married,  soon  after,  Martha  Ann  Stew- 
art, a  daughter  of  Rev.  Robert  Stewart.  Mr.  Jones  was  a  chair- 
maker  by  trade,  and  carried  on  that  business  for  many  years  at 
the  corner  of  Jones  and  Main  streets.  Mr.  Jones  occupied  the 
position  of  chorister  in  the  Congregational  Church  for  rnsny 
years  He  was  an  industrious  man  and  a  man  of  singularly  pure 
life,  commanding  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  community  to 
a  very  remarkable  degree.  He  died  January  29th,  1854.  The 
Congregational  Church  Choir  have  erected  a  neat  marble  slab  to 
his  memory  in  the  cemetery. 


PARLEY  C.  STEARNS. 

ON  the  4th  day  of  July,  183fi,  Parley  C.  Stearns,  then  a  young 
man  of  twenty-three  years,  landed  in  Canton,  Mr.  Stearns  came 
in  company  with  John  Rawalt  from  Yates  county,  New  York, 
making  the  trip  overland  in  wagons. 

Mr.  Stearns  was  a  cooper  by  trade,  and  for  a  few  years  worked 
at  that  business.  The  same  year  of  his  arrival  he  married  Miss 
Hannah  Rawalt,  a  daughter  of  John  Rawalt. 

In  1837  Mr.  Stearns  was  elected  constable  for  Orion  township, 
then  known  as  7 — -5;  but  he  did  not  qualify.  In  1839  Mr. 
Stearns  was  elected  Justice  of  the  Peace,  and  with  two  short  in- 
termissions has  acted  in  that  capacity  from  that  .time  until  the 
present. 

Mr.  Stearns  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1849,  since  which  time 
he  has  been  busily  and  successfully  engaged  in  practice. 

In  1846  Mr.  Stearns  was  elected  one  of  the  County  Commis- 
sioners of  Fulton  county  for  the  term  of  three  years.  In  1849 


126  CAffTON:   ITS  PIONEERS   AND  HISTORY. 

he  was  elected  one  of  the  Associate  Justices  that  formed  the 
county  board  under  the  Constitution  of  1848. 

Mr.  Stearns  was  appointed  Postmaster  of  the  City  of  Canton 
in  the  summer  of  1853,  which  position  he  retained  until  1857. 

Mr.  Stearns  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  until  the  rebellion  began, 
when  he  became  a  War-Democrat,  and  at  a  later  period  a  Re- 
publican. Mr.  Stearns  was  largely  influential  in  the  organization 
of  the  103d  Regiment,  and  was  elected  Lieutenant-Colonel  of 
that  regiment,  but  was  taken  sick  soon  after  joining  his  regiment 
at  Peoria,  and  lay  sick  several  months,  which  forced  him  to  re- 
sign. 

Mr.  Stearns  was  closely  identified  with  the  earlier  movements 
looking  to  the  building  of  the  Jacksonville  &  Savanna  Railroad, 
and  has  ever  been  among  the  foremost  to  promote  all  schemes  of 
public  utility  and  improvement.  He  is  now,  at  the  age  of  fifty- 
eight,  in  the  full  vigor  of  life,  and  has  lost  none  of  the  eloquence 
which  made  him  prominent  in  the  early  days  as  one  of  the  best 
stump-orators  in  the  county.  He  is  a  true  friend,  a  genial  gentle- 
man, and  no  man  stands  higher  in  the  home  of  his  adoption  than 
does  Parley  C.  Stearns. 


CANTON'S  PART  IN  THE  MORMON  WAR. 

DURING  the  summer  of  1846  the  Mormon  question  began  to 
excite  public  attention.  In  Hancock  county,  it  was  reported, 
depredations  were  being  committed  by  them  on  all  who  were  not  of 
their  way  of  thinking.  Mormon  outrages  —  no  doubt  exagger- 
ated—  were  constant  themes  of  conversation  at  every  fireside  and 
social  gathering.  In  Hancock  county,  outside  of  Nauvoo,  the 
excitement  had  reached  the  culminating  point  by  about  the  last 
of  August.  Both  parties  were  making  a  feeble  effort,  however, 
to  keep  the  law  upon  their  side.  The  Anti-Mormons  had  first 
sworn  out  writs  for  the  arrest  of  Mormons  on  various  charges, 
and  then,  to  induce  the  Mormons  to  resist  the  serving  of  the 
processes,  had  declared  that  the  arrested  parties  would  be  mobbed 
and  murdered  if  taken.  Of  course,  the  Mormons  resisted  these 
writs,  and  Constable  Carlin,  whose  duty  it  had  been  made  to 
serve  them,  called  out,  on  the  1st  of  September,  a  posse  comitatus 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  127 

to  aid  him  in  the  enforcement  of  the  law.  The  Mormons  at  once 
adopted  the  same  tactics.  They,  too,  had  warrants  issued  for  the 
apprehension  of  prominent  Anti-Mormons,  and  threatened  to  hang 
them  if  arrested.  These  writs  were  opposed,  and  the  Mormon 
constable  called  out  his  posse.  Gov.  Ford  remarks,  in  his  His- 
tory of  Illinois,  that  it  was  "Writ  against  writ;  constable  against 
constable;  law  against  law;  posse  against  posse." 

Some  one  suggested  to  the  Governor  that,  if  he  would  send 
some  commissioned  officer  with  ten  men  to  the  scene  of  action, 
with  power  to  enforce  the  law,  they  could  settle  all  the  questions 
at  issue.  This  representation  was  believed  by  Gov.  Ford,  and  he 
proceeded  to  act  upon  it  by  issuing  an  order  to  Maj.  James  R. 
Parker,  of  Can/on,  that  he  should  enlist  ten  men  and  proceed  at 
once  to  Nauvoo  for  the  adjustment  of  the  difficulties  there  exist- 
ing. He  was  made  commander-in-chief  of  all  militia  forces  that 
might  be  raised  or  called  into  the  field,  and  clothed  with  the 
powers  of  a  plenipotentiary  and  envoy  extraordinary. 

It  happened  that  the  Anti-Mormon  leaders  were  Whigs,  and 
the  Mormons  had  voted  the  Democratic  ticket  at  the  preceding 
Congressional  election  —  voted  it  early  and  often,  according  to 
the  most  approved  political  principles.  Hence  the  Governor,  to 
in  some  degree  conciliate  the  "  mob,"  as  the  Anti-Mormon  posse 
was  designated,  had  selected  Major  Parker.  In  his  History  of 

Illinois  Governor  Ford  says : 

« 

"In  looking  around  over  the  state  for  this  purpose  (i.  e.,  the  se- 
lection of  a  commander),  the  choice  fell  upon  Maj.  Parker,  of 
Fulton  county.  Major  Parker  was  a  Whig,  and  was  selected 
partly  from  that  reason,  believing  that  a  Whig  now,  as  had  been 
the  case  before  with  Gen.  Hardin  and  Major  Warren,  would  have 
more  influence  in  restraining  the  Anti-Mormons  than  a  Democrat. 
But  Major  Parker's  character  was  unknown  out  of  his  own  county. 
Every  where  else  it  was  taken  for  granted  that  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat and  had  been  sent  over  to  intrigue  with  the  Mormons.  The 
Whig  newspapers  immediately  let  loose  floods  of  abuse  upon 
him,  both  in  this  state  and  Missouri,  which  completely  paralyzed 
his  power  to  render  any  effectual  service.  .  The  constable's  posse 
refused  to  give  place  to  him,  and  the  constable  openly  declared 
that  he  cared  but  little  for  the  arrests ;  by  which  it  was  apparent 
that  they  intended,  from  the  first,  to  use  the  process  of  the  law 
only  as  a  cover  to  their  design  of  expelling  the  Mormons." 


128  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Major  Parker  received  his  commission,  order  and  instructions 
from  the  hand  of  Maj.  Lewis  Bidamon,  the  Governor's  messen- 
ger, on  a  Saturday  evening.  Sunday  morning  he  selected  and 
secured  the  services  of  Harrison  P.  Fellows,  Abel  H.  White, 
Isaac  C.  Johnson,  Phillip  Grim,  jr.,  Benjamin  Perry,  Jacob  Fox, 
John  Thorp,  Wm.  Bell,  G.  W.  Thorn,  and  Joseph  Long,  and  the 
same  evening  set  out  in  lumber-wagons  for  the  theatre  of  war, 
arriving  at  Nauvoo  by  eleven  o'clock  Monday  evening. 

Major  Parker  at  once  issued  a  proclamation  to  the  mob  com- 
manding them  to  disperse.  This  proclamtion  was  received  by 
them  with  shouts  of  derision,  and  the  bearers  were  treated  with 
great  indignity.  Another  and  another  proclamation  followed,  but 
met  no  better  reception. 

It  now  became  apparent  that  proclamations  were  not  exactly 
the  kind  of  ammunition  with  which  to  strike  consternation  into 
the  valorous  hearts  of  the  Anti-Mormons.  The  Governor  ac- 
cordingly ordered  Major  Flood,  of  Adams  county,  to  reinforce 
Major  Parker  with  a  sufficient  volunteer  militia  force.  Major 
Flood's  commission  must  have  been  a  unique  document,  as  it 
contained  a  power  of  sub'stitution,  by  which  he  was  empowered, 
if  he  could  not  serve,  to  hand  it  over  to  some  one  who  would. 
Major  Flood  used  his  power  of  substitution  by  turning  over  his 
commission  to  Major  Clifford,  who  at  once  repaired  to  Nauvoo 
and,  contrary  to  his  instructions,  took  command  of  the  Mormon 
forces.  Major  Clifford  now  issued  an  order  directed  to  Col.  John 
S.  Wycoff,  in  command  of  the  Fulton  county  militia  regiment,  for 
a  force  of  three  hundred  mounted  militia.  There  was  no  law, 
civil  or  military,  under  wrhich  mounted  militia  could  be  called 
out.  Indeed,  "mounted  militia"  was  an  arm  of  the  militia  which 
only  had  its  existence .  in  the  fertile  brain  of  the  great  Clifford. 
The  order,  however,  was  received  in  perfect  good  faith  by  Col. 
Wycoff,  and  he  at  once  notified  Adjutant  Harrison  P.  Fellows  — 
who  had  returned  from  Nauvoo — to  notify  the  commanders  of 
the  North  and  South  Canton  and  Utica  militia  companies  to  mus- 
ter their  men,  and  from  their  number  to  proceed  to  draft  their 
proportion  of  the  number  of  men  necessary  to  fill  the  call.  Ad- 
jutant Fellows  at  once  notified  First  Sergeant,  acting  Captain, 
Geo.  S.  McConnell,  commanding  the  North-Canton  Company; 
Lieutenant  Joseph  Anderson,  commanding  the  South-Canton 
Company ;  and  Captain  Wm.  Kelso,  commanding  the  Utica  Kifle 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  129 

Company,  ordering  them  to  appear  on  the  13th  or  14th  of  Sep- 
tember, with  their  men,  on  the  Public  Square  in  Canton. 

This  order  created  an  intense  excitement.  Very  few  of  our 
citizens  sympathized  with  the  Mormons,  and  they  were  called  up- 
on to  fight  their  battles.  Meetings  were  called  at  once,  and  the 
leading  citizens  counseled  obedience  to  the  order  as  emanating 
from  a  proper  and  legal  authority,  and  they  were  a  law-abiding 
people. 

Sergeant  McConnell  appointed  a  full  complement  of  non-com- 
missioned officers  for  his  company,  making  John  W.  Ingersoll  2d 
Sergeant,  Tracy  Doolittle  3d  Sergeant,  Abel  PL  White  4th  Ser- 
geant. The  corporals  were  Jonathan  Niece,  1st;  Mahlon  PL  Hob- 
lett,  2d;  Thos.  Ewing,  3d;  and  Robert  Sebree,  4th.  Sergeant 
McConnell  ordered  his  non-commissioned  staff  immediately  into 
service.  It  was  raining,  and  most  of  them,  being  in  business, 
were  not  anxious  to  face  the  storm ;  but  the  sergeant  was  inex- 
orable, and,  dividing  the  roll,  he  gave  to  each  the  portion  of  it  he 
was  to  notify,  and  sent  them  into  the  county  through  the  mud  and 
rain  to  notify  the  company  to  assemble. 

When  the  day  came,  the  different  companies  assembled  on  the 
Public  Square  according  to  order.  McConnell  found  that  all  his 
company  had  not  been  notified,  and  demanded  of  Col.  Wycoff  three 
more  days  for  that  purpose,  and  at  the  same  time  demanded  the 
presence  of  the  regimental  surgeon  to  examine  those  who  might 
claim  exemption  under  the  order.  This  claim  was  reasonable; 
more,  it  was  in  strict  accordance  with  the  letter  and  spirit  of  the 
law.  Still,  it  placed  Col.  Wycoff  in  a  dilemma,  as  there  was  no 
commissioned  surgeon  in  the  regiment,  and  it  was  too  late  to  se- 
cure a  commission  for  one  in  time  to  meet  the  emergency  that 
was  upon  them.  After  some  deliberation,  he  ordered  the  com- 
pany to  hold  themselves  as  minute  men,  liable  to  be  called  to  the 
front  at  a  moment's  notice. 

Lieutenant  Anderson  had  his  company  notified  and  all  on  hand. 
He  proceeded,  in  accordance  with  his  orders,  to  draft.  His  com- 
pany were  formed  in  line  on  Elm  and  Third  streets.  The  draft 
was  made  in  the  house  —  still  standing — then  owned  by  J.  B. 
Mallory,  on  the  southeast  corner  of  those  streets,  and  immedi- 
ately opposite  to  the  City  Hotel.  The  officers  of  Anderson's  com- 
pany, so  far  as  the  writer  has  been  able  to  obtain  them,  were  — 
1st  Lieutenant,  Joseph  Anderson,  in  command;  2d  Lieutenant, 
17 


130  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

Charles  "W.  Rockhold ;  Orderly-Sergeant,  James  Ellis ;  2d  Ser- 
geant, Thompson  Maple. 

The  day  was  one  of  great  excitement  in  Canton.  Col.  Wycoff 
and  Major  Hiram  Snow  were  on  the  square,  calmly  contemplating 
the  military  preparations  in  progress,  and  counseling  the  one  with 
the  other,  as  important  orders  were  to  be  issued. 

Adjutant  Fellows,  even  when  acting  as  Grand  Marshal  at  Dem- 
ocratic meetings  when  Douglas  was  the  speaker,  had  never  shown 
to  so  good  an  advantage.  He  was  well  mounted,  had  General 
Stillman's  sword  and  sash  girded  upon  him.  He  had  appointed 
Col.  "Wm.  Babcock  as  his  aide  de  camp.  The  duties  of  this  posi- 
tion were  very  onerous,  and  consisted  of  ordering  and  paying 
for  drinks  for  his  commander.  The  adjutant  still  bears  testimony 
to  the  bravery  and  determination  his  aide  manifested  on  the  oc- 
casion, saying  that  he  never  faltered  or  hesitated,  but  would 
plunge  into  the  thickest  of  the  ferocious  crowd  surrounding 
Emory's  bar,  and  order  drinks  with  a  coolness  and  discretion 
never  too  much  to  be  admired.  The  Col.  aide  de  camp  was 
mounted  on  a  powerful  iron-gray  charger,  and  wore  a  flaming  red 
sash.  He  and  the  adjutant  were  dashing  hither  and  yonder,  and 
added  much  to  the  theatrical  effect  of  the  scene. 

Adjutant  Fellows  was  chief  of  staff  to  Col.  Wycoff;  Col.  Wm. 
Babcock  was  chief  of  staff  to  Adjutant  Fellows ;  and  now  it  became 
necessary  that  Col.  Babcock  should  also  have  a  chief  of  staff.  Hon. 
A.  C.  Babcock,  then  but  a  young  man,  saw  and  appreciated  this 
necessity,  and,  with  that  promptness  and  courage  for  which  he  is 
celebrated,  determined  "to  face  the  terrors  i'  the  imminent  and 
deadly  breach"  in  his  country's  service.  He  soon  found  a  charger 
to  his  mind,  and  secured  its  services  This  charger  was  a  noble  ani- 
mal of  the  female  persuasion.  She  was  scarcely  more  than  twenty 
years  old,  her  architecture  of  the  Gothic  order,  and  in  color  that 
magnificent  shade  of  sorrel  which  is  just  blending  into  tow  color, 
this  mare  had  a  habit  of  jerking  up  her  hind  feet  in  a  rapid  and 
energetic  manner,  in  splendid  contrast  with  the  slower  and  more 
sedate  movement  of  her  fore  feet;  any  deficiency  in  her  eyes  was 
hidden,  if  not  healed,  by  the  wide  flaps  of  the  huge  "blind 
bridle"  with  which  she  was  guided.  In  order  to  show  off  to  its 
best  advantage  the  architecture  of  his  steed,  Mr.  Babcock  had, 
with  his  usual  sagacity,  left  off  the  saddle.  Thus  mounted,  and 
dressed  to  suit  his  animal  and  his  own  view  of  the  importance  of 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  131 

the  occasion,  Mr.  Bibcock,  urging  his  beast  with  a  lath,  galloped 
beside  his  martial  brother,  and  repeated  the  order  he  received. 
He  was  careful,  however,  not  to  interfere  with  the  colonel's 
duties,  but  found  more  congenial  employment  in  aiding  Adjutant 
Fellows  in  disposing  of  the  drinks  his  chief  of  staff  ordered. 
Thus  he  fought  for  the  better  part  of  the  day,  and  never  mur- 
mured even  when  glasses  were  presented  thick  and  fast.  For  his 
heroism  he  received  especial  commendation  from  his  superior, 
who  several  times,  in  the  heat  of  the  day,  with  an  enthusiastic 
appreciation  of  his  merit,  would  exclaim,  "  D — n  you,  what  are 
you  following  me  for?  I  think  you'd  better  go  home  and  behave 
yourself." 

When  the  draft  in  Anderson's  company  began,  the  crowd  con- 
centrated there,  and  then  began  a  scene  which  beggars  descrip- 
tion. Sergeant  Maple  held  in  his  hand  a  "plug-hat,"  in  which 
were  sixty  tickets  numbered  for  Nauvoo,  and  as  many  blanks  as 
there  were  exemptions.  Sergeant  Ellis  began  calling  the  roll: 
"  Gilbert  Rockhold."  Gilbert,  trembling  in  every  limb  and  with 
a  face  as  white  as  the  ticket  he  was  so  lucky  as  to  draw,  presented 
himself  and  drew  an  exemption.  "Glory  to  God!"  he  shouted, 
as  Sergeant  Maple  announced  the  result.  One  by  one  they  came, 
in  response  to  the  roll-call  —  some  bravely  like  men,  some  white 
with  fear;  and  as  any  trembler  would  step  out  of  the  ranks, 
shouts,  jeers  and  taunts  would  meet  him.  Private  Vittum 
stepped  out  of  the  line  for  a  moment,  and  Private  Grim  was 
ordered  to  bring  him  back.  Leveling  his  gun,  he  was  about 
to  shoot  him,  supposing,  perhaps,  he  would  be  easier  returned  to 
the  line  dead  than  alive,  wThen  Anderson  stopped  him. 

Kelso's  company,  being  independent,  were  none  of  them  ex- 
empt. They  were  from  Utica  and  its  neighborhood.  Some  of 
them  brought  first-class  cases  of  chills  —  some  even  the  old- 
fashioned  shaking  ague.  They  were  all  this  while  standing  on 
the  sunny  side  of  the  street,  leaning  against  buildings  and  fences, 
and  enjoying  themselves  bottom-fashion  by  shaking,  until,  it  is  re- 
ported, they  loosened  the  mortar  in  several  brick  walls.  N.  B. — 
They  were  not  scared;  they  were  only  enjoying  themselves  with 
their  customary  shake. 

Anderson  ordered  his  drafted  men  to  report  the  next  morning 
for  the  trip  to  the  scene  of  carnage  that  awaited  them.  That 
night  many  tears  were  shed  by  weeping  wives  and  disconsolate 


132  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

mothers,  and  sad  parting  words  were  pronounced.  At  dawn 
they  began  to  come  in  and  report,  but  were  soon,  to  their  infinite 
gratification,  released  by  an  order  from  Col.  Wycoff,  who  had 
learned  from  some  source  that  the  order  of  Major  Clifford  was 
bogus. 

Thus  ended  Canton's  part  in  the  Mormon  "War. 


THE  WHISKY  WAR. 

\ 

IN'  1855,  the  town  council,  acting  in  accordance  with  the  desire 
of  the  people  of  Canton  as  expressed  by  their  votes,  passed  a 
very  stringent  prohibitory  liquor-law.  This  law  was  openly  set 
at  defiance  by  some  of  the  liquor-sellers.  They  not  only  con- 
tinued to  sell,  but  sold,  in  at  least  one  case,  in  an  open  and  defi- 
ant manner.  These  parties  selling  liquor  were  arrested,  and  one 
of  them,  finding  that  the  suit  was  likely  to  go  against  him,  pro- 
posed a  compromise  with  the  city,  agreeing,  if  the  suit  against 
him  was  dropped  and  the  city  council  would  pay  the  cost  of  the 
suit,  giving  him  fifteen  days  to  close  out  his  stock,  he  would  close 
out  his  establishment  and  quit  the  business.  This  compromise 
was  agreed  to  by  the  city,  but  violated  by  Mr.  Mallory,  it  was 
claimed,  and  that  he  went  on  from  bad  to  worse.  Other  prosecu- 
tions were  brought  against  him,  which  he  appealed,  and,  when 
they  were  brought  to  trial  in  the  circuit  court,  obtained  a  change 
of  venue  to  Mason  county,  showing  a  determination  to  contest 
the  law,  as  he  had  an  undoubted  right  to. 

The  temperance  ladies  of  Canton  were  very  much  dissatisfied 
with  the  slow  progress  being  made  in  closing  up  the  offending 
saloons,  and  finally  determined  to  take  the  subject  into  their  own 
hands.  Secret  meetings  of  ladies  were  held  to  consider  the  ways 
and  means  by  which  the  sale  of  liquor  could  be  stopped,  and  a 
plan  of  action  was  finally  agreed  upon.  It  has  been  asserted  that 
women  can  not  keep  a  secret.  This  was  proved  to  be  a  mistake 
in  this  case,  at  least.  So  secretly  had  the  women  moved  that  Mr. 
Mallory,  the  chief  of  the  offenders,  entirely  unsuspecting,  and 
with  no  premonition  of  the  fate  that  awaited  his  whisky-barrels, 
went  to  St.  Louis  to  make  additions  to  his  already  large  stock. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  133 

The  firm  of  Charles  Smith  &  Co.,  doing  business  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Public  Square,  had  been  holding  a  series  of  ladies' 
auctions,  at  which  they  were  disposing  of  a  considerable  stock  of 
ladies'  fancy  goods.  To  this  auction,  on  Friday,  the  4th  day  of 
April,  1856,  the  ladies,  by  previous  understanding,  came.  The 
auction  began  about  one  o'clock,  and  it  was  observed  that  the 
crowd  began  to  collect  in  the  auction-room  at  an  early  hour.  The 
auctioneer  was  delighted  at  the  great  numbers  of  ladies  who  sur- 
rounded his  stand,  and  cried  himself  hoarse  with  praises  of  his 
goods ;  but,  to  his  astonishment,  no  body  bid.  The  women  con- 
tinued to  collect,  coming  in  twos  and  threes,  all  wearing  shawls 
or  cloaks,  although  the  day  was  bland  and  pleasant,  until  about 
two  hundred  had  collected. 

From  some  expressions  let  fall  in  the  auction-room,  it  began  to 
be  understood  upon  the  street  that  "  Sebastopol,"  as  Mallory's 
saloon  was  called,  was  to  be  taken.  Mr.  Mallory  being  from 
home,  his  friends  determined  to  volunteer  in  his  defense;  and  ac- 
cordingly quite  a  number  of  them  took  their  positions  at  the  en- 
trance to  the  building, —  which  was  securely  barricaded, —  deter- 
mined, as  they  averred,  to  defend  the  establishment  at  the  peril 
of  their  lives,  if  it  need  be.  Among  the  defenders  of  the  gro- 
cery were  a  constable  then  serving  a  term  in  an  adjoining  town- 
ship, a  man  of  nerve,  and  whose  veracity  has  never  been  called 
in  question,  who  addressed  a  crowd  of  several  hundred  men  and 
boys  gathered  before  the  door,  urging  them  to  aid  in  protecting 
the  property  of  the  saloon-keeper,  at  the  same  time  swearing  that  no 
woman  could  enter  the  door  without  passing  over  his  dead  body. 
This  gentleman  little  dreamed  how  soon  the  death  he  was  invok- 
ing might  be  staring  him  in  the  face. 

When  the  time  for  action  came,  over  two  hundred  of  the  most 
prominent  women  of  Canton  marched  out  of  the  auction-store 
and  arranged  themselves  in  columns,  two  by  two,  on  the  Public 
Square.  The  excitement  by  this  time  was  growing  intense. 
Every  body,  male  and  female,  appeared  to  be  upon  the  Public 
Square,  either  as  lookers-on  or  participants  in  the  mob,  upon  the 
one  side  or  the  other.  As  the  Amazonian  column  formed,  a  citi- 
zen stepped  up  to  the  leader  and  urged  her  to  desist,  saying  that 
the  proprietor  of  "  Sebastopol"  was  not  at  home,  and  urging  them 
at  least  to  give  him  a  chance  to  defend  himself.  The  ladies  re- 
sponded that  they  were  convened  for  business,  and  that  business 
must  go  on. 


134  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

The  line  of  march  was  now  taken  up,  the  leader  carrying  a 
short  sword  in  her  hand,  which  she  flourished  in  quite  a  martial 
manner.  Arriving  at  the  door,  the  crowd  parted,  except  that 
three  or  four  determined  fellows  maintained  themselves  before 
the  door.  One  of  these,  the  constable  referred  to  above,  de- 
clared his  determination  to  resist  the  onslaught,  and  declared,  in 
response  to  the  quiet  and  low-spoken  "  Stand  aside,  gentlemen :  we 
are  going  in  there,"  of  the  leader,  himself  as  ready  for  the  sacri- 
fice by  the  remark :  "Not  by  ad — d  sight:  you  ain't  going  in 
unless  you  go  over  my  dead  body."  Mr.  Constable  was  a  brave 
man ;  Mr.  Constable  was  a  man  of  truth ;  therefore  it  can  not  be 
doubted  that  he  met  with  a  bloody  death  right  there,  as,  within 
one  minute  after  his  self-sacrificing  declaration,  the  door  against 
which  he  and  two  or  three  more  braves  were  standing  was  shiv- 
ered to  a  thousand  fragments,  by  blows  well  and  vigorously  aimed 
from  gleaming  hatchets  that  leaped  out  from  the  cover  of  two 
hundred  shawls  in  unison.  Mr.  Constable,  therefore,  must  have 
perished,  fallen  gloriously  at  his  post  of  duty,  then  and  there. 

And  now  let  it  be  recorded,  in  passing,  that  Spiritualism,  how- 
ever much  its  followers  may  be  reviled,  has  been  proved  true  be- 
yond a  cavil,  as  it  can  be  proved  that  the  freed  spirit  of  the  gen- 
tleman from  "Orion"  has  been  seen  at  frequent  intervals  in  his 
old  haunts — -not  as  an  ethereal  and  fleeting  shadow — not  as  an 
undefined  and  undefinable  sigh  or  breath  of  vapor, —  but  in  form, 
size,  shape  and  voice  as  natural  as  when,  in  the  vigor  of  his  man- 
hood, he  stood  up  in  defense  of  that  spm'tf-ualism  he  loved. 

The  door  of  "Sebastopol"  demolished,  the  work  of  demolition 
began.  Bottles,  unoffending  candy-jars,  glasses,  decanters,  all 
were  smashed  into  a  thousand  fragments,  and  shelving  and  coun- 
ters shared  the  same  fate.  The  cellar  contained  a  large  quantity 
of  liquors.  This  was  invaded,  and  barrels  were  knocked  in,  until 
the  spirituous  flood  had  accumulated  on  the  cellar-floor  to  the 
depth  of  several  inches,  when  they  bailed  it  out  and  threw  it  in- 
to the  street,  determined  none  should  be  saved.  Some  of  the 
women  had  a  lighted  candle  in  this  cellar,  and  it  was  almost  a 
miracle  that  they  had  not  set  fire  to  the  spilled  liquor  and  all  have 
perished  with  the  object  of  their  wrath: 

By  the  time  their  destruction  of  "Sebastopol"  had  been  com- 
pleted, the  fumes  of  the  liquor  had  ascended  to  their  nostrils,  and 
it  is  no  exaggeration  to  say  that  one-half  of  the  ladies  were,  as  tern- 

4   i?*- 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  135 

perance  advocates,  in  magnificent  order  to  furnish  the  fearful  ex- 
ample for  any  ambitious  temperance  orator  who  might  secure  their 
services.  About  twenty  barrels  of  liquor,  besides  his  saloon  and 
bar-fixtures,  were  destroyed  for  Mr.  Mallory. 

This  work  completed,  they  reorganized  and  marched  to  the 
grocery  of  Mr.  Butters,  on  Main  street,  just  south  of  the  Public 
Square.  Mr.  Butters  sold  nothing  stronger  than  beer,  and  rolled 
out  the  only  barrel  of  it  in  his  possession  on  the  sidewalk,  willing 
to  sacrifice  it  rather  than  trust  the  now  infuriated  Amazonian 
army  within  his  establishment.  This  barrel  of  beer  was  at  once 
demolished  and  the  line  of  march  again  resumed. 

There  was  a  rectifying  establishment,  kept  by  Lamon  &  Childs, 
near  the  present  cemetery.  Thither  the  ladies  marched,  and 
there,  after  overawing  a  feeble  effort  at  resistance  on  the  part  of 
the  proprietors,  marched  in  and  destroyed  about  thirty  barrels  of 
whisky  and  highwines. 

This  establishment  destroyed,  they  returned  to  the  Square  and 
invaded  the  office  of  Col.  Wm.  Babcock,  who  had  a  barrel  of  un- 
tapped whisky  there,  that  he  was  saving  for  domestic  use  after 
his  boy,  then  a  babe,  should  become  of  age.  The  ladies  will 
probably  remember  why  they  did  not  destroy  this  barrel. 

All  the  liquor  of  which  the  ladies  knew  having  been  destroyed, 
they  reconvened  at  the  auction-store  and  passed  the  following 
resolution : 

WHEREAS,  We,  the  ladies  of  Canton,  being  wives,  mothers,  sisters,  and 
daughters,  have  experienced  the  dread  calamity  of  seeing  our  husbands, 
sons  and  brothers,  made  drunkards  by  the  lawless  rumsellers  of  our  town, 
and  having  seen  the  law  tried  to  be  enforced  in  vain ;  and  whereas,  those 
engaged  in  the  damning  business  of  rumselling  have  been  appealed  to  in 
vain  by  moral  suasion,  to  desist  and  save  the  peace  of  our  families ;  we  have 
therefore,  in  defense  of  our  firesides,  and  with  a  view  to  save  from  destruc- 
tion those  most  dear  to  us  on  earth,  been  compelled  to  destroy  the  spirituous 
liquors  in  our  city,  and  it  is  now 

Resolved,  That,  as  often  as  the  practice  is  resumed  in  Canton  or  vicinity, 
we  will  rid '"ourselves  of  its  curse, —  peaceably  if  we  can,  forcibly  if  we 
must. 

Canton,  April  4, 1856. 

Thus  was  liquor — at  least  until  a  new  stock  could  be  procured 
— put  down  by  the  ladies  of  Canton. 

During  the  day  several  fights  occurred,  between  parties  who 
were  in  sympathy  with  the  ladies  on  the  one  side  and  with  the 
saloon-keepers  on  the  other. 


136  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

For  a  short  time  the  work  of  that  Friday  appeared  to  have 
been  productive  of  good;  but  it  begot  a  reaction  that  I  am  now 
satisfied  has  done  more  to  do  permanent  injury  to  the  temperance 
cause  than  any  thing  that  has  ever  occurred  here.  The  ;ladies 
were  not  held  legally  responsible  for  their  action,  it  is  true :  suits 
were,  indeed,  commenced,  but  compromised.  The  laws  were 
sufficient  to  have  stopped  the  sale  of  liquor,  and  mob-law  is  sel- 
dom justified,  even  where  the  provocation  is  much  greater  than 
it  was  in  this  case. 


J.  B.  COYKENDALL, 

from  Allegheny  county,  New  York,  was  one  of  the  immigrants 
who  came  in  during  the  latter  part  of  the  year  1835.  He  was  a 
worker  in  metal,  maker  of  edge-tools,  augers,  hammers,  etc.  His 
shop  was  established  on  Cole  street,  where  he  did  general  black- 
smithing. 

To  Mr.  Coykendall  is  due  the  credit  of  doing  the  first  casting 
ever  done  in  Fulton  county.  This  job  was  a  pair  of  small  burrs 
for  grinding  flax-seed,  and  was  done  for  the  McPheeters  Oil- 
Mill.  His  furnace  was  an  ordinary  blacksmith's  forge  with  two 
pairs  of  bellows.  In  this  forge  was  fixed  an  immovable  crucible, 
made  with  ordinary  brick  clay.  The  crucible  had  a  hole  and  plug 
for  letting  out  the  metal.  His  moulds  were  constructed  from  or- 
dinary sand,  and  it  is  said  that  he  succeeded  in  doing  a  very 
creditable  job.  "When  the  pioneer  blast  was  made,  nearly  the 
entire  population  of  the  village  were  present  to  witness  it. 

Coykendall  afterward  removed,  and  for  many  years  resided  in 
Peoria  county,  but  is  now  living  at  Farmington,  in  Fulton  county, 
aged  74  years,  and  still  quite  hale  and  hearty.  His  sons,  Duke 
B.,  A.  J.  and  Jonathan,  will  be  remembered  by  all  the  older  resi- 
dents. All  are  still  living :  D.  B.  and  A.  J.  in  Yates  City,  and 
Jonathan  in  Farmington,  where  he  is  a  successful  and  enterprising 
business  man. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  137 


THE  SWINETTE. 

EARLY  settlers  were  not  always  verdant,  whatever  appearance 
of  rural  simplicity  they  might  have  presented  to  the  eyes  of  the 
citizens  of  the  few  cities  to  which  they  occasionally  strayed. ' 

Shaphet  Dwire  was  an  instance  of  the  truth  of  this  remark. 
Soon  after  beginning  business  in  Canton,  he  had  occasion  to  visit 
'St.  Louis  for  goods.  The  merchant  from  whom  his  stock  was 
purchased,  thinking  to  show  his  customer  courtesy,  invited  him 
to  tea  at  his  house.  Dwire  accepted  the  invitation.  During  the 
evening,  the  merchant,  having  occasion  to  step  out  for  a  few  mo- 
ments, left  two  aristocratic  and  conceited  city  belles,  who  were 
stopping  at  his  house,  to  entertain  Dwire.  These  ladies,  understand- 
ing tljat  Dwire  was  from  the  countrys  determined  to  have  some 
fun  at  his  expense,  and  began  quizzing  him.  Dwire  saw  their 
game,  and  at  once  began  playing  "greeny,"  playing  it  to  perfec- 
tion. Noticing  a  piano  in  the  room,  he  said : 

"  Gals,  what  on  airth  do  you  have  yer  tables  so  high  fur?" 

"  Oh,  sir,  that  is  not  a  table :  that  is  a  piano." 

"A  pianner?     What  on  airth  is  that?" 

"It  is  a  musical  instrument:  did  you  never  see  one?" 

"A  musical  instrument?  Gosh,  I'd  like  to  hear  you  blow  on 
her." 

One  of  the  ladies  opened  the  piano  and  played  several  short 
selections,  Dwire  expressing  his  gratification  by  such  ejaculations 
as  "  Gosh ! "  "  Golly ! "  "Ain't  that  are  scrumptious ! "  and  other 
equally  classic  phrases. 

The  lady  soon  shut  up  the  instrument,  and,  turning  to  Mr. 
Dwire,  the  following  dialogue  occurred: 

"Why,  la,  Mr.  Dwire,  do  not  the  ladies  have  musical  instru- 
ments where  you  live?" 

"Oh,  yes,  our  gals  all  play  on  the  swinette." 

"The  swinette?  why,  I  never  heard  of  that  instrument :  pray 
tell  us  what  is  it  like.  How  do  they  play  it  ?  " 

"  Oh,  it 's  the  golfiredest,  nicest  instrument  you  ever  seed.  They 
just  catch  a  pig,  you  see,  and  put  it  under  their  arms  like  a  bag- 
pipe, and  bite  the  pig's  tail  till  it  squeals,  then  squeeze  the  pig." 

The  ladies  concluded  they  had  paid  a  little  too  much  for  their 
fun,  and  made  no  more  sport  of  Dwire. 
18 


138  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


CANTON  FAIRS. 

THE  first  Agricultural  Fair  held  in  Fulton  county  was  held  at 
Canton,  on  the  Hannan  Farm,  in  the  fall  of  1852.  At  that  time 
the  'Fulton  County  Agricuitural  Society  had  no  existence.  Some 
of  the  citizens  of  Canton  determined  to  hold  a  fair  on  their  own 
account.  Meetings  were  accordingly  held,  ground  selected,  offi- 
cers chosen,  and  all  arrangements  made.  The  county  at  large 
was  invited  to  participate,  and  the  result  was  quite  a  respectable 
exhibition.  At  this  fair  the  Fulton  County  Agricultural  Society 
was  brought  into  existence. 

The  second  and  several  subsequent  fairs  were  held  first  at 
Cuba,  then  at  Lewistown,  and  at  Vermont. 

In  the  fall  of  1856  for  the  second  time  a  fair  was  held  at  Can- 
ton—  this  time  being  the  Third  Annual  Fair  of  the  Fulton  County 
Agricultural  Society.  The  fair  ground  on  this  occasion  was 
located  on  South-Main  street,  in  what  was  then  known  as 
Wright's  pasture,  near  the  Stroud  place.  This  fair  attracted  a 
great  crowd  of  people  for  that  day,  and  was  a  complete  success. 
No  admittance  fee  was  charged,  and  one  enterprising  politician 
improved  the  occasion  to  address  the  assembled  multitude  on 
political  topics,  much  to  the  disgust  of  the  party  opposed  to  him 
in  politics.  A  ladies'  equestrian  display  was  the  one  memorable 
feature  of  the  fair,  and  one  of  the  fair  riders,  Miss  Lydia  Maria 
Antonetta  Shipley,  was  thrown  from  her  animal,  but  recovered 
her  saddle  almost  instantly,  without  assistance,  and  before  any  of 
the  gallants  could  reach  her  with  their  proffers  of  assistance, 
amid  the  cheers  of  the  crowd. 

Between  1856  and  1866  the  fairs  of  the  Fulton  County  Agri- 
cultural Society  had  been  held  at  Lewistown.  These  fairs  had  not 
been  to  any  considerable  extent  successful,  and  in  consequence 
the  society  was  in  a  languishing  condition.  In  1866,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  society,  feeling  a  determination  to  make  their  fairs 
more  successful,  elected  a  new  board  of  officers  and  voted  to  re- 
move the  fairs  to  Canton. 

The  citizens  of  Canton  at  once  took  a  deep  and  active  interest 
in  the  society,  and  set  to  work  in  the  most  praiseworthy  manner 
to  make  the  fairs  not  only  successful,  but  to  place  them  in  the 
very  front  rank  among  the  county  fairs  of  the  United  States.  A 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  139 

joint-stock  company  was  accordingly  formed,  which  purchased 
twenty-five  acres  of  the  Anderson  farm,  lying  in  the  southeastern 
angle  formed  by  the  intersection  of  the  branch  of  the  C.  B.  & 
Q.  with  the  T.  P.  &  "W.  Railroad.  The  site  selected  is  on  a 
high  level  prairie,  commanding  a  view  of  a  considerable  portion 
of  the  city,  and  was  a  most  admirable  selection  of  ground  for  the 
purpose.  This  ground  was  purchased  independent  of  the  so- 
ciety, but  the  grounds  were  donated  to  the  society  free  of  rent 
for  the  term  of  ninety-nine  years.  The  citizens  of  Canton  and 
vicinity  now  subscribed  $5,000  for  the  purpose  of  fencing  and 
the  erection  of  the  necessary  buildings,  stock  stalls,  etc. 

The  directors  of  the  society,  recognizing  the  spirit  of  liberal 
enterprise  thus  manifested  by  the  citizens  of  Canton,  appointed 
an  executive  committee  consisting  of  five  persons,  residents  of 
Canton,  to  superintend  the  erection  of  buildings,  fencing,  and 
making  all  necessary  arrangements  for  the  fair.  This  committee 
consisted  of  Messrs.  J.  H.  McCall,  A.  B.  Hulit,  A.  C.  Babcock, 
D.  W.  Vittum,  jr.,  and  Townsend  Atwater.  This  committee 
proceeded  at  once  to  business,  and  erected  a  large,  substantial 
and  convenient  hall,  fifty  by  one  hundred  feet;  an  amphitheatre 
capable  of  seating  1,000  persons,  with  booths  for  the  sale  of  re- 
freshments underneath;  with  all  the  necessary  offices,  stables, 
stock-pens,  a  fine  judges'  stand,  and  prepared  a  half-mile  track 
for  exhibition  purposes.  The  society  furnished  $5,000,  and  the 
whole  amount  was  judiciously  expended  in  preparing  these 
grounds. 

From  the  fair  of  this  year — 1866  —  $4,000  were  realized,  and 
thus  the  society  was  placed  upon  a  sound  financial  basis,  and 
Canton  Fairs  from  that  time  began  to  be  famous. 

In  1867  the  society  realized  $6,000  from  its  fair;  in  1868,  over 
$7,000;  in  1869,  nearly  $9,000.  In  1868  another  amphitheatre 
was  added,  with  a  large  dining-hall  and  kitchen  attached;  ad- 
ditional sheds  for  carriages,  implements  and  tools  were  erected, 
and  large  additions  made  to  the  number  of  stalls  and  stock-pens. 
In  1869  the  number  of  entries  had  reached  2,300,  and  the  fair 
was  one  of  the  most  successful  ever  held  by  any  county  in  the 
West;  while  that  of  1870  was  even  more  successful,  being  in 
close  competition  with  the  State  Fair. 


140  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 


MAHLON  S.  HOBLETT 

CAME  to  Canton  in  1840,  and  established  himself  in  the  mercantile 
business  on  the  east  side  of  the  Public  Square,  in  Neece's  build- 
ing, and  remained  there  until  1841.  In  1841  he  and  John  G. 
Piper  were  in  business  together,  making  flax-seed  oil,  they  hav- 
ing rented  McPheeters's  oil-mill,  which  stood  on  Fourth  street  be- 
tween Elm  and  Union.  Mr.  Hoblett  was  also  a  partner  of  Mr. 
Piper  in  the  establishment  of  the  carding  machine  which  was  the 
beginning  of  Piper's  Woolen  Factory.  Mr.  Hoblett  left  Canton 
in  1848,  removing  to  Logan  county.  In  1857  he  removed  to 
Minnesota,  where  he  remained  until  his  death  in  1868. 


JOHN  COLEMAN,  SENIOR. 

FEW  of  the  early  settlers  were  better  known  that  John  Cole- 
man.  He  came  to  the  state  in  the  fall  of  1826,  from  New  Jersey, 
making  the  trip  overland,  bringing,  in  addition  to  his  household 
goods  and  a  family  of  twelve  children — leaving  two  more  in  New 
Jersey — five  wagon-loads  of  dry  goods,  groceries,  etc.,  purchased 
in  New- York  City.  Mr.  Coleman  settled  at  first  in  a  log  cabin 
which  stood  on  the  block  now  occupied  by  Mrs.  N.  B.  Childs,  on 
Wood  street.  Here  he  displayed  for  sale  the  first  goods  ever 
brought  to  Canton  for  sale.  Mr.  Coleman  did  not  arrange  his 
goods  at  first  on  shelves  and  sell  them  over  counters,  as  is  the 
custom  to-day,  but  left  his  bales  and  boxes  of  goods  under  beds, 
beside  the  walls,  and  wherever  he  could  find  a  place  for  them. 
His  customers  were,  in  addition  to  the  few  neighbors  who  were 
in  the  vicinity,  Indians,  and  he  had  as  many  as  two  hundred  red 
customers  at  one  time,  on  certain  occasions. 

Mr.  Coleman  had  bought,  before  removing  to  Canton,  seven 
quarter-sections  of  land  in  one  body,  adjoining  and  north  of  the 
town-plat  of  Canton.  On  this  land  he  erected  a  building,  and 
about  1829  obtained  a  tavern  license.  He  called  his  house  the 
"  Traveler's  Rest,"  and  no  house  in  the  Military  Tract  was  better 
known  to  travelers. 

Mr.  Coleman  kept  a  grocery  and  some  goods  on  his  farm  until 

i 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  141 

the  storm  in  1835,  when  his  store-room  was  blown  away,  and  a 
large  lot  of  clocks  and  Mackinaw  blankets  from  his  stock  scattered 
broadcast  over  the  prairie.  Mr.  Coleman  was  a  trading  man, 
and  as  such  had  "  a  faculty."  He  made  money  while  he  lived, 
and  left  a  fine  estate  to  his  children.  He  was  a  very  powerful 
man,  about  5  feet  10  inches  in  hight,  and  would  weigh  about  200 
ft>s.  He  died  in  May,  1835  at  the  age  of  63  years. 


PARLIAMENTARY. 

ONE  winter,  not  many  years  ago,  a  number  of  the  young  busi^ 
ness  men  organized  a  "  Mutual  Improvement  Society."  On  one 
occasion  some  cause  of  disaffection  sprang  up  in  the  society, 
which  came  near  resulting  in  the  expulsion  of  some  of  the  mem- 
bers. The  offending  members  were  not  finally  expelled,  but  were 
permitted  one  by  one  to  withdraw — the  withdrawal  being  pre- 
ceded by  a  motion  for  permission.  These  motions  had  in  each 
case  come  from  the  offending  parties,  one  moving  for  the  benefit 
of  another,  until  but  one  of  the  disaffected,  and  that  one  William 
Gearhardt,  remained;  William  looked  around,  appealing  to  the 
remaining  members,  expecting  some  of  them  to  make  the  neces- 
sary motion  for  his  benefit;  but  it  was  not  made.  Finally  he 
arose  and  said,  "Mr.  President,  I  move  that  William  Gearhardt 
be  permitted  to  withdraw  from  this  society,  and  I  second  the  mo- 
tion." The  motion  was  considered  by  the  speaker,  amidst  the 
laughter  of  the  society,  and  carried  by  a  unanimous  vote  — 
William  voting  in  the  affirmative. 


IN  FORM. 

IN  a  school-district  not  outside  the  limits  of  Fulton  county,  and 
not  less  than  twenty  years  ago,  the  directors  were  called  upon  to 
certify  to  the  schedule  of  the  teacher,  to  enable  him  to  draw  his 
salary.  Their  certificate,  for  legal  accuracy,  has  rarely  been  sur- 
passed. It  read : 


142  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

We,  A.  B.,  C.  D.,  and  E.  F.,  School  Directors  of  District  No.  — ,  do  certify 
that  G.  H.  has  taught  school  for  the  full  length  of  time  of  three  months, 

and  that  there  is  now  due  the  said  G.  H. dollars  and cents. 

Witness  our  hands. 

A.  B.,  [L.S.] 
C.  D.,  [L.S.] 
E.  F.,  IL.S.] 

The  directors  were  exceedingly  astonished  at  having  this  cer- 
tificate returned  to  them  for  correction,  when  it  was  in  the  exact 
language  of  the  statute. 


NOT  PREPARED. 

ON  one  occasion  a  distinguished  temperance  orator  from  abroad 
had  been  extensively  advertised  to  lecture  in  the  Congregational 
Church.  The  evening  came  and  the  house  was  filled  to  its  utmost 
capacity,  but  no  speaker  came.  Wm.  H.  Haskell,  Esq.,  had  at 
his  office  a  carefully-written  temperance  oration,  and  it  was  de- 
termined by  some  of  the  leading  men  that  he  should  supply  the 
vacant  stand.  Haskell  hurried  to  his  office,  put  his  oration  in  his 
pocket,  and  returned.  The  president  of  the  evening,  after  ex- 
plaining the  absence  of  the  expected  speaker,  announced  Mr.  Has- 
kell. Mr.  Haskell  ascended  the  rostrum,  and  in  his  blandest  and 
most  silvery  tones  said : 

"  MK.  PRESIDENT,  LADIES,.AND  GENTLEMEN  :  It  is  a  totally  un- 
expected honor  conferred  upon  me  in  being  called  upon  to  fill  the 
place  of  the  distinguished  gentleman  who  was  to  have  addressed 
you.  And  I  am  the  more  embarrassed  in  responding  to  this  call, 
from  the  fact  that  I  am  entirely  unprepared  to  say  any  thing  on 
the  subject."  Here  he  drew  from  his  pocket  an  immense  roll  of 
manuscript,  which  he  deliberately  unfolded,  and  read  in  a  most 
effective  style  to  the  audience,  to  their  great  delectation,  consid- 
ering his  lack  of  preparation. 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  143 


CANTON'S  MANUFACTURES. 


FOUNDRIES  AND  MACHINE-SHOPS. 

IN  the  fall  of  1838,  James  Whiting  established  the  first  foun- 
dry and  machine-shop  in  Canton.  This  establishment  was  in  a 
large  frame  building  erected  for  the  purpose,  on  Wood  street, 
between  Union  and  Illinois  streets,  just  north  of  Hon.  A.  C. 
Babcock's  present  residence.  Mr.  Whiting  soon  took  into  part- 
nership Louis  Sovereign.  Messrs.  Whiting  &  Sovereign  con- 
tinued in  business  together  until  the  fall  of  1840,  when  Mr. 
Whiting  was  taken  sick,  and,  after  a  continued  illness  of  nine 
months,  died  in  the  summer  of  1841. 

The  business,  suspended  by  Mr.  Whiting's  sickness,  was  never 
resumed.  His  widow  continued  to  reside  here  until  her  death, 
a  few  years  since,  and  his  son,  Hugh  Whiting,  is  still  residing 
here. 

In  about  1843,  Maj.  Lewis  Bidamon,  who  had  purchased  the 
Ellis  Steam-Mill  property  on  Main  street,  decided  to  turn  it  into 
a  foundry.  He  carried  this  immediately  into  effect,  and  did  here 
a  general  foundry  and  machine  business  until  1846,  when  he  sold 
out  to  Wm.  Parlin. 

In  about  1854  or  '5,  Messrs.  J.  &  J.  M.  Savill  established 
a  foundry  and  machine-shop  on  Cole  street,  at  the  north  end  of 
South-Second  street.  This  firm  did  business  until  in  1859,  when 
they  dissolved. 


JAMES  SAVILL'S  FOUNDRY. 

Mr.  James  Savill  continued  to  run  the  J.  &  J.  M.  Savill  Foun- 
dry after  the  dissolution  of  that  firm  and  is  still  engaged  in  the 
business.  Mr.  Savill's  establishment  now  runs  four  hands  in  the 
general  foundry  and  machine  business,  having  an  eight-horse- 
power engine,  four  lathes,  and  other  machinery.  Mr.  Savill  man- 
ufactures agricultural  implements,  boilers,  saw-mills,  etc. 


144  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

J.  M.  SAVILL'S  FOUNDRY  AND  MACHINE-SHOP. 

Mr.  J.  M.  Savill,  in  1859,  established  a  foundry  and  machine* 
shop  on  Cole  street,  corner  of  First  street.  He  began  with  a  six* 
horse-power  engine,  a  small  amount  of  machinery,  and  a  working 
force,  himself  included,  of  only  six  hands.  His  business  has 
been  gradually  extending  ever  since.  In  1862  he  put  up  a  twelve- 
horse-power  engine,  making  at  the  same  time  important  arid  ex- 
tensive additions  to  his  machinery. 

Mr.  Savill  now  employs  a  constant  force  of  ten  hands.  He 
manufactures  steam-engines,  force  pumps,  cane  mills,  corn-shel- 
lers,  field  rollers,  trip-hammers,  and  does  mill  work  and  repairing 
of  all  kinds. 

Mr.  Savill  is  a  native  of  Lancashire,  England.  He  immigrated 
to  this  county  in  1844.  He  contemplates,  as  rapidly  as  possible, 
extending  his  business. 


CIGAR  MANUFACTORIES. 

Prior  to  1855  there  had  been  no  manufactures  of  cigars  in  Can- 
ton. There  may  have  been  a  few  made  by  isolated  individuals 
for  home  consumption,  but  not  as  a  business.  On  the  12th  of 
November,  1855, 

MR.  E.  H.  CURTISS  opened  a  small  shop  in  D.  M.  Smith's  store- 
room, on  Union  street,  for  the  manufacture  and  sale  of  cigars, — 
Mr.  Curtiss  and  his  brother,  J.  J.  Curtiss,  attending  to  sales  and 
doing  all  the  work. 

Mr.  Curtiss  remained  in  this  location  until  1856,  when  he  re- 
moved to  the  old  A.  S.  Steel  store,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Public 
Square — since  burned  down  —  and  enlarged  his  business  to  some 
extent.  By  close  attention  to  the  selection  of  stock  and  applica- 
tion to  business,  Mr.  Curtiss  continued  to  meet  with  a  success  so 
marked  as  to  make  it  necessary  still  further  to  increase  his  busi- 
nesss:  accordingly,  in  1859  he  removed  to  a  larger  room,  owned 
by  David  Grim,  on  the  east  side  of  the  Public  Square,  where 
Baughman's  store,  in  Union  Block,  now  stands.  Here  he  con- 
tinued to  increase  his  business  until,  in  1863,  he  was  forced  to 
make  another  removal,  to  the  old  Maple  corner,  on  the  southeast 
corner  of  the  Public  Square.  He  has  remained  in  this  location 
ever  since — now  eight  years, —  and  has  now  in  constant  employ 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  145 

twelve  hands  in  rolling  cigars,  employing  in  the  various  processes 
of  his  manufactory  nineteen  hands,  and  paying  out  $12,000  an- 
nually for  hired  help. 

In  1870  Mr.  Curtiss  manufactured,  in  round  numbers,  360,000 
cigars,  and  expects  to  increase  it  the  coming  year,  1871,  to 
600,000. 

Mr.  Curtiss  has  already  established  a  reputation  for  his  cigars 
that  is  worth  a  fortune  to  him.  Throughout  the  eight  or  ten 
towns  immediately  surrounding  scarcely  any  other  cigars  are 
sold.  His  brands  are  also  well  known  over  most  of  the  eastern 
and  northern  portions  of  the  state,  while  he  has  customers  from 
Iowa,  Missouri,  Nebraska,  and  as  far  west  as  Salt-Lake  City. 

This  establishment,  from  a  very  small  beginning,  has  grown  to 
be  an  important  manufacturing  establishment,  by  the  tact,  energy 
and  square  dealing  of  its  founder.  It  has  grown  from  an  estab- 
lishment occupying  one  small  room  to  one  occupying  a  principal 
store-room  21  by  80  feet;  a  basement  of  the  same  size;  about  one- 
third  of  the  second  story  of  the  same  building;  and  the  entire 
fourth  story  of  the  same. 

Mr.  Curtiss  is  now  but  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  it  is  fair  to 
presume  that  his  business  is  scarcely  begun. 

DEAN  &  ARMSTRONG  were  the  next  firm  to  engage  in  Cigar- 
making.  They  began  business  December  1st,  1869,  in  the  Gra- 
ham building,  but  afterward  removed  to  the  east  side  of  the  Pub- 
lic Square,  over  Olds  &  Smith's  grocery-store. 

Messrs.  Dean  &  Armstrong  employ  five  hands  in  their  business. 
In  1870  they  manufactured  one  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  cigars, 
and  expect  during  1871  to  reach  two  hundred  and  fifty  thousand. 
They  find  a  constantly-increasing  demand  for  their  cigars,  and  in 
consequence  are  constantly  increasing  the  extent  of  their  works. 

The  average  wages  of  cigar-makers  is  about  fifteen  dollars  per 
week;  and  as  twenty-three  hands  find  employment,  it  will  be 
seen  that  three  hundred  and  forty-five  dollars  per  week  are  paid 
out  regularly  for  this  branch  of  manufacture  alone. 


HOFFMAN  &  SON'S  STAR  WAGON  MANUFACTORY. 

In  1862,  Mr.  Hoffman,  the  proprietor  of  the  "Star  Wagon 
Manufactory,"  came  to  Canton  from  Missouri,  where  he  had  been 
driven  out  by  the  rebels.     Mr.  Hoffman  began  business  as  a  job- 
19 


146  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

bing  blacksmith  immediately,  with  two  sets  of  blacksmith  tools 
and  fifty  dollars  cash  capital,  and  a  large  family  to  support. 
Renting  Miller's  blacksmith  shop,  he  soon  found  all  the  work  him- 
self and  one  hand  could  do,  ironing  wagons  and  buggies,  making 
miners'  tools,  and  jobbing.  His  business  continuing  to  increase, 
after  having  purchased  the  house  and  lot  on  which  he  resides  on 
Walnut  street,  he  purchased  a  lot  on  Elm  street,  west  of  Parlin 
&  Orendorff's  Plow  Factory,  and  began  the  manufacture  of  the 
Star  Wagon  in  1865. 

In  1867  he  took  in  as  a  partner  Mr.  A.  Lay  ton,  who  brpught  a 
small  amount  of  capital  into  the  firm  and  enabled  them  to  make 
some  additions  to  their  facilities  for  manufacturing.  They  now 
added  the  manufacture  of  Hyer's  Horse  Hay-Forks,  and  increased 
their  force  on  wagons. 

Early  in  1869  Mr.  Hoffman  bought  out  the  interest  of  Mr.  Lay- 
ton  and  took  his  son  into  partnership,  under  the  present  firm  name. 
They  have  continued  to  enlarge  and  increase  their  business,  until 
at  present  they  employ  never  less  than  ten  first-class  workmen, 
and  have  made  during  1870  sixty  Star  Wagons,  besides  hay-forks 
and  general  jobbing  to  a  considerable  amount. 

Messrs.  Hoffman  &  Son's  wagons  are  all  made  of  excellent  se- 
lected materials,  and  are  already  acquiring  an  enviable  reputation 
wherever  known.  They  express  a  determination  to  continue  to 
keep  up  the  reputation  of  their  work,  and  it  is  safe  to  predict 
that  the  "  Star  Wagon  Manufactory"  will  in  a  few  years  be  ranked 
among  the  most  important  manufacturing  establishments  in  this 
section. 


PIPER'S  WOOLEN  FACTORY. 

In  1844  John  G.  Piper  opened  a  small  wool-carding  establish- 
ment on  the  southeast  corner  of  Main  and  Cole  streets.  He  be- 
gan with  one  set  of  custom  cards,  operated  by  horse  power,  and 
run  only  during  the  "  carding  season,"  being  suspended  a  con- 
siderable portion  of  each  year.  Mr.  Piper  set  out  with  a  deter- 
mination to  give  satisfaction  to  his  customers,  and  succeeded  so 
well  that  in  1846  he  found  it  necessary  to  add  another  set  of  cus- 
tom cards,  and  change  his  power  from  horse  power  to  that  afford- 
ed by  a  steam-engine  of  six-horse  power.  In  1850  he  put  up 
four  power  looms,  and  a  spinning  jack  with  one  hundred  and  fifty 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  147 

spindles,  beginning  the  manufacture  of  woolen  goods  of  various 
kinds,  also  adding  one  set  of  manufacturing  cards.  Since  that 
time  his  business  has  been  constantly  increasing,  and  he  has  been 
extending  his  facilities  for  manufacturing,  until  he  now  runs  two 
sets  of  manufacturing  cards;  two  sets  of  custom  cards;  two  spin- 
ning jacks  with  a  total  of  four  hundred  and  fifty  spindles;  to- 
gether with  all  needful  machinery  for  coloring  and  finishing 
cloths. 

Mr.  Piper  manufactured  last  year,  in  round  numbers,  $40,000 
worth  of  goods,  employing  in  his  establishment  thirty  hands, 
paying  $10,000  to  his  employes  as  wages.  His  goods  consist  of 
cassimeres,  tweeds,  jeans,  satinets,  flannels,  blankets,  and  stocking 
yarn.  His  goods  have  established  themselves  upon  their  merits 
throughout  a  considerable  portion  of  Illinois,  Missouri,  and  Kan- 
sas. The  reputation  of  Mr.  Piper's  manufactures  is  deservedly 
very  high,  and  wherever  known  their  sale  is  immense. 

Mr.  Piper's  motto  seems  to  have  been  to  sell  nothing  but  a  first- 
class  article  at  the  very  lowest  price  for  which  it  can  be  afforded. 
By  pursuing  this  policy,  from  a  very  small  beginning  he  has  been 
able  to  build  up  one  of  the  largest  and  most  important  manufac- 
turing establishments  in  our  city,  and  is  another  exemplification  of 
the  fact  that  with  Canton's  facilities  for  manufacture  in  the  shape 
of  cheap  and  good  coal,  abundance  and  accessibility  of  water, 
facilities  for  transportation,  and  fertility  of  soil,  thereby  affording 
abundance  of  cheap  food  for  operatives,  it  only  requires  energy, 
fair  dealing  and  time  to  build  up  from  the  smallest  beginning  the 
largest  manufactory. 


THE  FIRE  DEPARTMENT. 

•  ON  the  14th  of  March,  1868,  the  store  of  Amos  C.  Babcock 
was  burned.  The  loss  by  this  fire  footed  up  about  $50,000,  most 
of  which  was  covered  with  insurance.  This  was  the  most  exten- 
sive conflagration  the  business  part  of  the  city  had  ever  been  sub- 
jected to.  Immediately  after  this  fire,  Messrs.  Amos  Babcock, 
Wm.  Babcock  and  Amos  C.  Babcock  deposited  with  Mr.  Heald, 
at  that  time  Mayor  of  the  city,  the  sum  of  $500,  on  the  condition 
that  it  should  be  appropriated  toward  the  purchase  of  the  neces- 


148  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

_ 

sary  apparatus  for  the  organization  of  a  hook-and-ladder  com- 
pany, should  such  a  company  be  formed,  or  toward  the  purchase 
of  a  fire  engine;  that  if  neither  were  procured,  the  sum  should  be 
appropriated  for  the  benefit  of  the  poor  of  the  city. 

This  munificent  donation  by  the  Messrs.  Babcock  stirred  up 
the  city  fathers  to  action.  Accordingly,  on  the  10th  of  April, 
1868,  they  passed  an  ordinance  for  the  organization  of  a  Fire  De- 
partment, and  establishing  fire  limits,  within  which  wooden  build- 
ings were  not  to  be  erected.  The  fire  limits  were  to  consist  of 
"  all  that  part  of  the  city  embraced  within  the  territory  beginning 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Illinois  and  Wood  streets;  thence  east 
to  the  west  line  of  Prairie  street;  thence  south  to  the  north  line 
of  Pine  (now  Jones)  street;  thence  west  to  the  east  line  of  Wood 
street;  thence  north  to  the  place  of  beginning."  The  council  ap- 
pointed Mr.  Wm.  B.  Gleason  Chief  of  the  Fire  Department,  and 
Mr.  John  Bailey  Assistant.  Mr.  Gleason  had  had  considerable 
experience  east  as  a  fireman,  was  a  gentleman  of  fine  executive 
ability,  and  eminently  qualified  for  the  position  of  chief  engineer. 
Under  his  direction  a  hook-and-ladder  company  was  at  once  or- 
ganized, consisting  of  the  following  men:  A.  D.  Troxell, 
W.  E.  Ware,  R.  C.  Snyder,  Arthur  Ray,  Wm.  H.  Black,  H. 
B.  Shaw,  R.  W.  Dewey,  J.  H.  Sebree,  H.  C.  Bolton,  H.  O.  Coy- 
kendall,  W.  D.  Johnson,  H.  S.  Steach,  A.  Layton,  D.  W.  Snyder, 
Wilber  Plattenburg,  O.  F.  Burton,  Wm.  Wallace,  Barnard  Carlan, 
W.  A.  Simmons,  C.  M.  Birch,  M.  S.  Poorman,  A.  F.  Small,  B.  F. 
Jordan,  W.  P.  Tanquary,  M.  Augustine,  C.  W.  Wills,  J.  C.  Belt, 
W.  H.  Hollar,  M.  E.  Danielson  Robt.  Livers,  C.  Wilson,  Adrian 
Roberts,  H.  A.  Shaw,  James  Kelley,  Andrew  Ronk.  Officers 
Elected — Foreman,  Barnard  Carlan;  Assistant  Foreman,  Alf.  D. 
Troxell;  Secretary,  Hugh  Shaw;  Treasurer,  Chris.  Wilson. 

On  the  16th  of  June  a  bucket  company  was  organized,  with 
George  Coleman  as  President,  John  Tanner  Vice-President,  J.  L. 
Small  Secretary,  and  Adam  Haynes  Treasurer.  Mr.  Gleason  pro- 
ceeded to  drill  these  companies,  and  soon  established  among  them 
such  a  state  of  discipline  as  augured  well  for  their  efficiency  in 
case  of  need. 

In  September,  1868,  a  movement  was  inaugurated  by  the  fire- 
men looking  to  the  purchase  of  an  engine.  Subscription-papers 
were  circulated  among  the  citizens,  and  about  $400  subscribed. 
The  city  government  appropriated  something  over  $300  more, 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  149 

and  in  1869  an  engine,  hose,  hose-cart,  and  all  necessary  appara- 
tus, were  purchased. 

In  August,  1868,  the  roster  of  the  Fire  Department  bore  the 
following  names:  Chief  Engineer,  Wm.  B.  Gleason;  Assistant 
Engineer,  John  Bailey.  HooJc-and- Ladder  Company — Fore- 
man, Barnard  Carlan;  Assistant  Foreman,  A.  D.  Troxell;  Secre- 
tary, Hugh  B.  Shaw;  Treasurer,  Chris.  Wilson.  W.  E.  Ware, 
R.  C.  Snyder,  Arthur  Kay,  W.  H.  Black,  R.  W.  Dewey,  jr.,  J. 
H.  Sebree,  H.  C.  Bolton,  H.  O.  Coykendall,  W.  D.  Johnson,  H. 
S.  Steach,  Alex.  Layton,  D.  W.  Snyder,  Wilber  Plattenburg,  O. 
F.  Burton,  W.  K.  Wallace,  W.  A.  Simmons,  C.  M.  Birch,  A.  F. 
Small,  B.  F.  Jordan,  Geo.  A.  Black,  M.  Augustine,  C.  W.  Wills, 
J.  C.  Belt,  W.  H.  Holler,  M.  E.  Danielson,  T.  J.  Moore,  Adrian 
Roberts,  H.  R.  Shaw,  W.  L.  Gosnell,  A.  J.  Ronk,  M.  S.  Poorman. 
Standard  Bearers,  Johnny  Fleming,  Charlie  Babcock.  Bucket 
Company — Foreman,  John  Coleman;  Assistant  Foreman,  John 
Tanner;  Secretary,  J.  L.  Small;  Treasurer,  A.  R.  Haynes.  H.  H, 
Clingenpeel,  Cal.  Armstrong,  Adam  Yako,  J.  J.  Dolan,  Wm. 
Gallagher,  Thomas  Conlin,  S.  J.  Mann,  Charles  Fellows,  A.  M. 
Moore,  G.  W.  King,  Charles  Smith,  J.  E.  McGrath,  E.  R.  Bags- 
ley,  J.  H.  Wycoff,  Jos.  Eyerly,  Thos.  Dailey,  James  Finan, 
Samuel  Freaner,  Samuel  Mallory.  H.  H.  Fellows,  Owen  Carney, 
Albert  Mann,  I.  P.  Weed,  Freeman  Miller,  Joshua  Belt,  Daniel 
Morrow. 

The  hook-and-ladder  company  had  received  the  name  of  the 
"  Regulator,"  in  honor  of  Hon.  A.  C.  Babcock's  place  of  business, 
the  burning  of  which  had  led  to  its  organization.  The  bucket 
company  was  called  the  "Deluge."  On  the  arrival  of  the  engine, 
the  bucket  company  was  reorganized  into  an  engine  company, 
retaining  the  name,  and  retaining  also  its  old  officers. 

In  1869  the  city  erected  an  engine-house,  on  Prairie  street,  be- 
tween Jones  and  Elm  streets.  This  is  a  good,  substantial  brick 
edifice,  containing  a  calaboose  and  engine-room.  In  1870  the 
city  purchased  an  alarm-bell  for  this  house. 

To  give  some  idea  of  the  efficiency  of  the  Fire  Department 
under  Mr.  Gleason's  management,  it  may  not  be  amiss  to  state 
that  on  the  occasion  of  a  public  parade,  in  the  summer  of  1870, 
the  Deluge  Company  started  with  their  engine  from  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  Public  Square,  crossed  to  the  cistern  on  the 
south  side,  dropped  their  suction-hose  into  the  cistern,  run  out  150 


150  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

feet  of  hose,  and  played  through  an  inch  nozzle  100  feet,  in  one 
and  one-half  minutes.  They  challenge  any  company  to  beat  it. 

The  city  has  been  very  liberal  with  the  department,  having  uni- 
formed the  different  companies  in  excellent  style. 

Mr.  Gleason  still  continues  Chief  (1871),  and  Mr.  Bailey  As- 
sistant. In  1870  the  members  of  the  department  presented  to 
Mr.  Gleason  an  elegant  silver-headed  cane,  costing  about  $40, 
and  to  Mr.  Bailey,  at  the  same  time,  a  magnificent  meerschaum 
pipe,  costing  about  $30,  as  a  token  of  the  esteem  in  which  those 
gentlemen  were  held  by  their  subordinates. 


WM.   SEAVY. 

WM.  SEAVY,  who  may  justly  be  called  the  pioneer  of  da- 
guerreotype, ambrotype,  melainotype,  photograph  business,  came 
to  Canton  in  May,  1851,  and  at  once  established  himself  in  busi- 
ness. Mr.  Seavy  had  been  engaged  in  the  business  for  ten  years 
prior  to  his  settlement  here,  traveling  all  over  New  England  and 
Canada.  The  first  pictures  he  took  here  included  those  of 
Beacon  Nathan  Jones,  Joel  Wright,  Uncle  Lyman  Walker,  Major 
Oliver  Shepley,  A.  C.  Thompson,  and  many  others  of  the  old  set- 
tlers. In  1851  he  married  Miss  Harriet  E.  Culton. 

Mr.  Seavy  took  the  first  ambrotype,  the  first  melainotype  and 
the  first  photograph  ever  taken  in  Canton.  He  exhibited  his 
pictures  at  the  State  Fair' at  Springfield  in  1854,  taking  the  first 
premium  over  all  competitors;  also  taking  the  first  premium  at  the 
State  Fairs  held  at  Peoria  in  1857,  and  Quincy  in  1864.  Mr. 
Seavy  has  been  justly  ranked  among  the  first  artists  in  the  West 
in  his  chosen  profession,  and  his  work  is  fully  equal  to  that  of  the 
first  artist  of  the  country,  keeping  pace  with  all  modern  improve- 
ments. 


DEACON  NATHAN  JONES. 

DEACON  NATHAN  JONES,  who  laid  out  the  first  and  several  sub- 
sequent additions  to  the  Town  of  Canton,  was  a  native  of  the 
State  of  New  York.  Jones  there  married  Matilda  Swan,  and,  in 
company  with  his  brother-in-law,  Isaac  Swan,  emigrated  to  Illi- 


CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY.  151 

nois  in  an  early  day.  They  came  to  Canton  in  1824,  and  settled 
together.  Nathan  Jones  was  for  the  larger  portion  of  his  life  a 
deeply  religious  man,  and  acquired  a  reputation  for  honesty,  in- 
tegrity, and  the  Christian  graces,  "such  as  few  men  ever  attain. 
He  was  universally  respected  during  his  life,  and,  although  be- 
longing to  the  Abolition  party,  which  in  an  early  day  was  exceed- 
ingly unpopular  in  this  section,  was  one  of  the  most  popular  men 
Canton  ever  had.  Deacon  Jones  was  the  first  postmaster  of  Can- 
ton. He  built  the  first  frame  residence  here,  was  for  a  long 
period  school  trustee,  and  held  various  offices  of  trust,  which  he 
filled  to  the  entire  satisfaction  of  the  community.  For  a  great 
many  years  the  good  Deacon  led  the  Congregational  Church 
Choir.  None  of  those  who  knew  him  but  respected  him.  He 
died  in  about  1850,  and  was  sincerely  mourned. 


CONCLUSION, 

THE  author  desires  to  offer  an  apology  in  concluding  this  work. 
He  has  fallen  into  several  errors,  to  which  inexperienced  authors 
are  liable. 

First,  he  has  allowed  himself  too  little  space  for  the  amount  of 
interesting  material  at  his  disposal.  Thus  he  has  been  forced  to 
omit  much  that  he  desired  to  insert;  but  he  has  the  consolation  of 
remembering  that  "  brevity  "  is  said  to  be  "  the  soul  of  wit." 

Second,  in  the  arrangement  of  his  work  he  is  conscious  of  some 
considerable  lack  of  consecutive  order.  For  this  his  apology 
must  be  that  the  work  has  been  written  while  passing  through 
the  most  severe  mental  ordeal  to  which  the  author  has  ever  been 
subjected.  This  is  the  only  excuse  offered. 

The  author  has  omitted  sketches  of  several  prominent  Canton 
Pioneers,  for  the  reason  that  he  designs  at  once  to  begin  the  prep- 
aration of  a  History  of  Fulton  County  and  its  Pioneers,  to  be 
a  work  of  four  or  five  hundred  octavo  pages,  and  most  of  those 
omitted  will  more  properly  come  into  that  work. 

This  and  this  only  I  have  to  offer  for  the  shortcomings  of  this 
work.  I  have  done  as  well  as  I  could  under  the  circumstances. 
I  will  endeavor  to  do  better  next  time. 

That  my  work  contains  errors  of  date  and  errors  of  fact  I  have 


152  CANTON:  ITS  PIONEERS  AND  HISTORY. 

no  doubt.  They  could  not  be  avoided,  as  I  had  to  rely  for  infor- 
mation upon  oral  statements,  based  upon  men's  recollection  in 
most^cases. 

The  author  tried  hard  to  obtain  data  for  a  History  of  the  M.  E. 
Church  of  Canton ;  but,  as  no  records  of  the  society  have  been 
preserved,  he  has  failed.  No  one  regrets  this  more  than 

THE  AUTHOR. 


TABLE  OF   CONTENTS. 


PAGE 

First  Settlement  .by  Theodore  Sergeant,  Isaac  Swan  and  Nathan  Jones. .  5 

Jones's  First  Addition  to  Canton 7 

First  Wedding  in  Canton  Township 11 

First  School-House  in  Canton 13 

Organization  of  Fulton  County 16 

Incidents— Out  of  Meat 17 

How  Buckheart  Township  Acquired  its  Name 17 

Habits  and  Customs  of  the  Pioneers 18 

A  Call  to  Preach 25 

Dargo  B.  Jones 27 

Isaac  Swan 28 

Daniel  Babbett „ 29 

Stump  Quarters 29 

Brisk  Business 80 

Presbyterian  Church  History 31 

The  Congregational  Church  History 41 

Joshua  Township  —  Public  Square , 50 

First  Baptist  Church  History 54 

First  Sabbath  School 63 

Anecdotes :   Converting  Drunkards 64 

Pioneer  Method  of  Advertising,  A  Literal  Interpretation 65 

A  Parson  Nonplussed 66 

Pay  in  Preaching — Anecdote  of  Buckley 67 

The  First  Turning-Lathe 69 

The  Corn-Husking 70 

The  Shingle-Weaver — The  First  Frame  House  in  Canton 72 

Show-Day 74 

The  Westerfield  Defeat 76 

Theodore  Sergeant — James  Sebree 87 

Dewey  Brothers 89 

Samuel  Porter — Henry  Clark 90 

The  Storm 91 

20 


154  TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. —  ERRATA. 

Kemarkable  Change  of  Temperature  —  Sebree's  Tavern 94 

A  Training-Day  in  1830 95 

First  Incorporation 98 

Second  Incorporation  of  Canton 102 

The  City  of  Canton 107 

Pork  Packing 113 

Robert  C.  Culton 119 

Plow  Manufactory —Wm.  Parlin 120 

Ingersoll  Brothers '. 122 

Anecdote  of  John  Bevard 123 

Beginning  in  the  Higher  Branches 124 

D.  C.  Jones— Parley  C.  Stearns 125 

Canton's  Part  in  the  Mormon  War 126 

The  Whisky  War 1 32 

J.  B.  Coykendall 136 

The  Swinette 137 

Canton  Fairs 138 

Mahlon  S.  Hoblett 140 

John  Coleman,  Senior 140 

Parliamentary — In  Form ". 141 

Not  Prepared 142 

Canton's  Manufactures :  Foundries  and  Machine-Shops — James  Savill's 
Foundry,  J.  M.  Savill's  Foundry  and  Machine-Shop ;  Cigar  Man- 
ufactories— E.  H.  Curtiss,  Dean  &  Armstrong;  Hoffman  &  Son's 

Star  Wagon  Manufactory ;  Piper's  Woolen  Manufactory 143 

The  Fire  Department 147 

Wm.  Seavy — Deacon  Nathan  Jones 150 

Conclusion . .  .  151 


ERRATA. 

Page  14,  first  line  of  second  paragraph,  for  "1865"  read  "1869"  (date  of 

death  of  Mrs.  Anderson). 
Page  49,  first  line  of  third  paragraph,  for  "Rev.  Edward  Bates"  read 

"Rev.  Henry  Bates."    Fourth  line  of  same  paragraph,  for  "$1,250"  read 

"$1,500." 

Page  51,  last  line  of  second  paragraph,  for  "south  side"  read  "  north  side." 
Page  53,  last  line  but  one  of  fourth  paragraph,  for  "1865  "  read  "1867." 
Page  118,  first  line  of  last  paragraph,  for  "  J.  B.  McCreary"  read  "J.  S. 

McCreary." 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  155 


&  IBIRO., 


DEALERS  IN 


GUNS,  PISTOLS,  and  SPORTING  APPARATUS;  HOES,  RAKES.  SPADES; 

FISHING  TACKLE.        J8^~  All  kinds  of  Guns  made  to  order. 
Repairing  done  with  Neatness  and  Dispatch.          North  Side  of  Square,  CANTON,  ILL, 

KLINE  &  MOOEE, 


i 

We  beep  the  best  brands  of  Family  Flour  constantly  on  band. 

HIDES  WANTED  —  CASH  PAID. 

Bring  along  your  Hides  and  get  your  money. 

West  Side  of  Public  Square,        CANTON,  ILL. 


C 

TOEOF  THE  PEACE,  ATW1NH  AND  COUNSELOR  AT  LAV,  AHD 

QENERAL,  COLLECTINQ  AQENT, 

Will  attend  to  any  business  intrusted  to  him  carefully  and  with  dispatch.    Office  over 
E.  Drake's  Grocery  Store,  West  side  Public  Square,    CANTON,  ILLINOIS. 

B.  G.  POWELL.  I.  T.  ATWATER. 

ZFCTWIEILjL    &o    CO., 

Merchant  &  Custom  Millers 


AND  DEALERS  IN  ALL  KINDS  OF 


P 


AT 


One  Block  South  of  Square, 

Canton,  Illinois. 

Flour,  Feed  and  Mill  Stuffs  constantly  on  hand. 
Free  delivery  in  city  or  suburbs. 

Highest  Market  Price  paid  for  all  kinds  of  Grain. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


157 


ETC.,     ETC. 
THE  COOLEST,  NEATEST  AND  MOST  PLEASANT  SUMMER  KESORT  IN  THE  CITY. 


Located  on  the  Northeast  corner  Public  Square, 
CANTON,  ILLINOIS. 

O.    T.    IK  IE  .A. LID, 


OFFICE  IN 

FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK, 

O-A-IsTTOlsr., 


This  is  the  oldest  Insurance  Agency  in  the  County,  and  only 
the  Strongest  and  Best  Companies  are  represented. 


The  many  losses  already  paid  in  this  vicinity  by  Mr.  Heald's  companies  are  a  guaran- 
ty that  they  are  SOUND,  and  the  public  can  rely  upon  his  representations. 


SOUTH  SIDE  PUBLIC  SQUARE, 
CANTON,  ILLINOIS. 


•W:M:. 


.  c  :R,  .A.  i  G-  , 


Keeps  constantly  on  hand  a  full  stock  of  fine  goods. 

West  side  Public  Square,  Canton,  Illinois. 

ZFTJIR/IETII'TJIE^IEl 

MRS.  THOMPSON 

Keeps  the  best  stock  of  Furniture  in  Canton,  at  her  old  stand,  West  of  the  Post-Office. 
Wm.  J.  Gearhart  is  on  hand,  as  usual,  to  wait  on  customers.     Prices,  Styles  and 
Quality  to  suit  every  body. 

21 


158 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


THORNTON  &  E-JTSRLY. 


DEALERS  IX 


Dry  Goods,  Notions,  Fancy  Goods,  Carpets,  and  Wall-Paper, 

South  Side  of  Public  Square,     CA.1VTO1V, 


IT.  FLUMMER  &   SO3ST, 


).  6  Reed's  Block, 

Farmington,    -    -    Illinois. 


IE.   ZE3I.   CTJIR/TIS, 


T^T 

JL  O  JL  5 


Manufactures  the  following  Celebrated  brands  of 


ImpsraJora,  Corona,  Bel  Rey,  Koss  Agate,  Golden  Star,  Royal  Hem, 

Also  keeps  on  hand  the  following  choice  brands  of  Fine-Cut  and  Plug 

CHEWING  TOBACCO 

FOR  THE  JOBBING  TRADE: 

PKIMKOSE,  GOLDEN  THREAD,  GOLDEN  HARP,  76  FINE-CUT,  CENTURY, 

UNION,  COMET,  CURTIS'S  BAZAR,  BON-BON,  BRIGHT  NAVY,  PEACH 

BLOSSOM,  ATLANTIC  CABLE,  AMERICAN  NAVY,  CURTIS'S 

RESORT,  NAVY  7's,  POCKET    PIECES,  FRUIT  CAKE, 

SHORT   10's,  FLOUNDER,  ETC.,  ETC.,  ETC. 


Smoking  Tobacco. 

YACHT-CLUB,  MEERSCHAUM,  OLD  STYLE,  ORINOCO, 


And  numerous  other  brands. 


J.  STOCKDALE. 


J.  8.  MESSLER. 


FIRST  WARD   MEAT  MARKET. 

Change  of  Firm,       Good  Meat!    G-ood  Meat! 

Having  purchased  the  First  "Ward  Meat  Market,  we  are  prepared  to  serve  all  our 
old  friends  and  customers,  and  as  many  new  ones  as  will  favor  us,  with  the  best  qual- 
ity of  Meat  of  all  kinds. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


159 


IIF.AI.KR  IN 


Hardware,  Iron,  Nails,  Agricultural  Implements,  Books  and  Groceries, 
North  side  Public  Square,  Canton,  Illinois. 

THE  NEW< 


Twenty-seven  years  of  active  and  useful  effort  have  placed  this  Company  in  the 
front  rank  of  American  life  insurance  companies.  Up  to  the  close  of  1870  the  New- 
England  Mutual  had  issued  50,000  Policies,  covering  risks  aggregating  over  $100,000,000, 
and  had  paid  out  for  the  comfort  of  families  (many  of  which  would  otherwise  have  been 
left  destitute)  more  than  five  millions  of  dollars.  January  1, 1871,  the  assets  of  the 
Company  were  $9,385,000,  and  its  liabilities,  including  a  sufficient  reserve  for  account 
of  an  its  running  risks,  $7,477,905.10 ;  leaving  a  surplus,  as  regards  policy-holders,  of 
$1,575,858.  About  half  a  million  dollars  have  been  returned  as  dividends  to  policy- 
holders  during  the  past  year. 

Respecting  such  a  company  there  is  no  necessity  of  using  arguments  or  eulogistic 
phrases.  As  Webster  said  of  Massachusetts,  so  we  may  say  of  this  grand  old  Massa- 
chusetts Company :  "  There  she  is.  Look  at  her ! "  Conservatively  and  economically 
administered,  liberal  in  business  dealings,  and  prompt  in  settling  losses,  The  New- 
England  Mutual  Life  Insurance  Company  makes  no  parade  or  pretense,  but  gives  its 
customers  PERFECTLY  CERTAIN  INSURANCE,  on  terms  as  reasonable  as  any  equally 
solvent  company  can  afford  to  do  the  same. 


SPECIAL  AGEJVT, 
CLAJSTTOlsr,    -    -    - 


E.  J.  BOTKIN, 

Surgical  and  Mechanical 


Over  Harris  $•  Plattenburg's  Drug  Store. 

I  use  the  best  Materials,  the  best  Processes,  and  the  best  Medicament  known  to  my 
profession. 

I  WARRANT  SATISFACTION.     TRY  ME. 


160  ADVERTISEMENTS. 


THE  PIONEER  ARTIST  AHEAD. 


"WZMI. 

VTOW  located  over  Thompson's  Grocery  Store,  West  Side  of  the  Public  Square,  con- 
11  tinues  to  surpass  all  competitors  in  the  Beauty,  Fidelity  and  Finish  of  his  Pic- 
tures. He  has  all  the  new  methods  in  the  Photographic  Art.  Indeed,  he  has  intro- 
duced nearly  every  new  style  to  this  community,  and  has  always  given  satisfaction. 


FRED.    O.    DDEWEY, 

AGENT  FOE 

~   ~§M 


Fill  MI  LIFE  IN! 


Represents  only  the  BEST  COMPANIES. 
ORIFICE    OVEE, 


H.  L. 


•  DEALER  IX 


-A.3STID 

Northwest  Corner  of  Public  Square, 

Canton,  Illinois. 


House  Established,  by  Joel  Wright,  in  183  O. 


CO., 

-  GENERAL  - 

FOUNDRY  AND  MACHINE  SHOP, 

MANUFACTURERS  OF 

Agricultural  Implements,  Steam  Engines,  etc., 

Corner  First  and  Cole  Streets,  CANTON,  ILLINOIS. 


All  work  warranted  to  give  satisfaction  in  price  and  quality. 


ADVERTISEMENTS.  16l 


I>r.  J.  H.  IRA.IIVEY, 
TI 


Front  Room,  3d  Story,  Graham's  Building,  Canton,  III. 


I  am  now  puttingup  all  kinds  of  plate-work  known  to  the  profession  ;  Including  Gold,  Sil- 
ver, Platinum,  Rubber  or  Coralite,  and  Aluminum.  Teeth  filled,  cleaned,  and  the  irregulari- 
ties of  dentition  corrected,  in  the  most  scientific  manner. 

I  can  not  too  highly  recommend  Aluminum.  It  is  equal  to  Gold  in  every  respect,  and  is 
five  times  lighter  than  Gold  or  Coralite.  The  attachment  of  the  Teeth  to  the  plate  is  so  per- 
fect that  there  are  no  interstices  in  which  foreign  substances  can  lodge,  causing  foetid  breath. 
They  do  not  absorb  the  gums  like  Coralite,  which  some  times  vitiates  them  even  to  slough- 
Ing.  Aluminum  will  not  corrode,  and  is  not  affected  by  the  fluidsof  the  mouth,  or  nitric  acid. 

An  experienced  physician  always  present  to  administer  chloroform,  gas,  or  ether,  when 
desired. 

I  have  had  an  experience  of  25  years,  13  of  which  have  been  in  Canton.  There  are  over 
2000  cases  of  artificial  teeth  of  my  work  now  in  use  in  this  vicinity.  With  these  guaranties  of 
proficiency,  and  a  strict  attention  to  business,  I  hope  to  please  the  most  fastidious. 

C.  C.  DEWEY, 


Dry 


DEALER  IN 


BOOTS  AND  SHOES, 


Carpets,  Oil-Cloths,  etc., 

JVorth  end  Union  Block, 
CANTON,   -   -   -   ILLINOIS. 

a-  so.  IB.  "VITTTJIM:, 


•  DEALER  IN 


Crockery,  China,  Glass, 

Britannia  and  Plated  Ware, 

Table  Cutlery,  and  Looking-Glasses, 

BLOCK, 


162  ADVERTISEMENTS. 


O-IEO-    IMI. 

MANUFACTURES  OF  AND  DEALER  IN 

Furniture,  Mattresses,  Spring  Beds, 

Chairs,  Locking-Glasses,  Gilt  and  Eosewood  Prames, 

METALLIC  AND  WOODEN  COFFINS,  CASKETS,  ETC.,  ETC., 

Southeast  Corner  of  Square  (P.O.  Box  304;,  CANTOS',  ILL. 


&    OOTJZETSIEIjOI?,    -A.T 
CANTOX,    ILLINOIS, 
ractices  in  the  Courts  of  this  and  adjoining  Counties. 

HEALD'SINSURANCE  11 


Fire  Companies.  Ajtsets. 

MTNA,  of  Hartford,  Conn "..  -$5,800,000 

HARTFORD,  of  Hartford,  Conn 2,600,000 

HOME,  of  New  York 4,600,000 

UNDERWRITERS'  AGENCY,  of  New  York....  4,000,000 

INTERNATIONAL,  of  New  York 1,330,000 

INS.  CO.  of  NORTH  AMERICA,  of  Philad'a. . . .  3,000,000 
SPRINGFIELD  FIRE  $  MAKE,  Spring  fid,  Ms.     950,000 

SANGAMO,  Springfield,  Illinois 235,000 

ILLINOIS  M.  F.,  Alton,  Illinois 265,000 

REAPER  CITY,  Rockford,  Rlinois 170,000 

$22,950,000 


THE  BEST  IS   THE   CHEAPEST. 


C.  T.  HEALD,  Agent.  Office  at  First  National  Bank. 

This  is  the  oldest  Insurance  Agency  in  the  County,  and  comprises  the  VERY  BEST 
COMPANIES.  Mr.  Heald  has  given  his  attention  to  the  Insurance  business  for  many 
years,  is  careful  to  have  the  papers  made  right  to  start  with,  and  in  case  of  loss  ren- 
ders every  assistance  to  prepare  papers  and  complete  claims.  Do  n't  be  humbugged 
and  swindled  by  tra/veling  agents,  but  insure  with  an  agent  you  know. 


A  RTHTJPt  HA.Y  keeps  the  reliable  Meat  Market,  in  Snyder's  Block,  East 
J\_  Side  Public  Square,  Canton,  Illinois. 

His  Meats  are  FRESH,  TENDER,  and  JUICY.     Try  Them. 


o.  a. 

POLICE  ituiRUR,  ATTORNEY  AND  COUNSELOR  AT  LAW,  AND 

QENERAL  COLLECTINGS  AOENT. 
Office  with  Mayor  J.  L.  Murphy,  East  side  Public  Square,  CANTON,  ILLINOIS. 


ADVERTISEMENTS. 


163 


As  Bred  and  Raised  by  A.  C.  MOORE,  at  Canton,  111. 

The  above  name  was  officially  adopted  by  the  Illinois  State  Agricultural  Society  at 
Springfield,  March  1, 1871,  and  the  words  "  or  Magie  "  were  ordered  stricken  off. 

On  four  separate  farms  he  last  year  raised  762  pigs ;  now  he  has  214  head  of  breeders. 
Mr.  M.  has  made  this  breed  a  specialty  for  26  years.  In  1868  and  1869  he  took  nearly 
$2,000  premiums,  including  $500  and  $700  Pork-Packers'  premiums  at  St.  Louis  Fairs, 
where  in  1870  his  stock  took  seven  premiums,  two  of  them  $150  prizes.  At  Fulton 
County,  Illinois,  Fair,  1870,  he  took  the  $500  and  the  $50  Sweepstakes  on  only  three 
entries. 

PRICES  : 

SINGLE  PIGS— 2}£  months  old, $20;  3K  months,  $25;  4>£  months,  $30;  6  months,  $40. 
PAIKS,  NO  KIN— 2%  months  old,  $40;  3}£  months,  $50;  4>£  months,  $60;  6  months,  $80. 
Sows,  WHEN  BRED— 8  to  9  months  old,  sent  when  known  to  be  with  pig,  $75;  1  year 

old  and  over,  bred,  etc.,  $100. 
SHHF"  Boxed  and  delivered  at  Canton  Depots. 

TsTeatness,    _A.ccnracy3    ^Promptness. 


isr.  c.  isr.A.so:tT, 

STEAM 


133  and  135  South-  Washington  St,, 


Books,  Magazines,  Newspapers, 

Cards,  Handbills,  Posters, 
Circulars,  Letter-Heads,  Bill-Heads, 
And  every  variety  of  Printing,  in  Blaek  Inks, 
Colored  Inks,  and  Bronzes. 


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